Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Pelham

 Pelham

It has literally taken me all week to finish this one!

Pelham, John Cresset, of Cound Hall, M.P. for Shropshire.

Arms: Azure, three pelicans Proper vulning their breasts Gules quartered with Gules, two pieces of belt with oval buckles erect and in fesse Or (buckles in chief) 2nd and third Azure, a cross within a bordure Or quartered with Ermine on a bend cotticed Gules 3 crescents Or.

Crest: A peacock in his pride Argent.

The arms of John Cresset Pelham, of Cound Hall, M.P. for Shropshire.

The Pelham coat of arms is famous for containing multiple clever visual puns (known in heraldry as canting arms or "armes parlantes"). A direct pun is achieved through the specific charges. In the 1st and 4th quarters, the three pelicans vulning their breasts are a traditional heraldic symbol of maternal sacrifice, representing Christ's love, but also phonetically alluding to the first syllable of the name Pelham (via the "pelican"). The "Pieces of Belt" (Pelham Buckles); the arms feature Gules, two pieces of belt with oval buckles erect and in fesse Or. This specific buckle badge was adopted to sound like the surname Pel-ham.  Additionally, the quarterings highlight a famous piece of medieval history. The buckles were granted as an augmentation of honour to Sir John Pelham for his role in the capture of King John of France at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. The blazon also features a second distinct set of arms in the 2nd and 3rd quarters (belonging to the Clinton family), which reflects the historical marriage and combining of the families (as seen in the arms of the Dukes of Newcastle).

Whilst there is no pun in the crest of a peacock in his pride, old writers did have the habit of assigning meanings to heraldic charges (although in reality, there is no definitive meaning to any heraldic charge) and it has been asserted by "writers of old" that the peacock in his pride represents Resurrection and Immortality. This is derived from an ancient Christian and classical myth that a peacock’s flesh never decayed after death. It was used by families to represent spiritual endurance, eternal life, or an uncorruptible lineage with power and prestige: The sweeping, "all-seeing" eye-patterns (ocelli) on the tail feathers traditionally implied alertness, vast knowledge, and protective power.

I have no doubt that the Member of Parliament for Shropshire was immensely proud of his "achievements". If you'll pardon the pun!