Bookplate of Sir Edmund Antrobus Bt.

Newly acquired by Cheshire Heraldry is the Bookplate of Sir Edmund Antrobus Bt.



Arms: Lozengy Or and Azure, on a pale Gules three estoiles of the first.

Crest: Issuing out of rays Proper a Unicorn's head couped Argent.

Supporters: Two horses Proper.

Motto: Dei Memor Gratus Amicus (Mindful of God, Grateful to Friends)

The baronetcy was created (UK) 22nd May 1815.

The first four baronets were named Edmund. This is a Cheshire family (in origin at least) the chief seat of the family, Antrobus Hall, was sold by Henry Antrobus in 1460 to Thomas Venables.

Keeping up ones standards

In a recent on-line conversation the view was expressed by a person identifying his own character as that of "a Little Englander" that in order to use a standard (in England) one requires a badge. There are precedents in English armory which indicate that this is not the case at all. Crests can be and often are used as badges and the composition of a standard whilst nowadays consisting of a combination of badges and crests would not suffer unduly if it simply contained the crest alone, whether duplicated or not.



Here is an English example, that of Prior Docwra of the Order of St.John in Tudor Times (illustration from Heraldic Standards, Gayre of Gayre & Nigg). Note that it is an English example. This would indicate to me that if any old armiger (in England) qualifies for a badge which in turn is exemplified on a standard, then anyone with a crest may also exemplify that crest on a standard. The precedent is there for anyone to follow.

The College of arms themselves state that "Individuals and corporations being granted arms, crest, and badge may have a standard exemplified in their Letters Patent which confers permission to have one manufactured and flown". This implies, to me at least, that it is the badge which is granted and the standard is merely the vehicle upon which it may be exemplified.  So, taking the Dacwra example, if you have a crest you can have a standard.

Tatton Bookplates

I have just acquired two Tatton bookplates of historical Cheshire interest.

 Thomas William Tatton and Reginald Arthur Tatton.

Two Tatton 19th century Armorial Bookplates. Neither is in the Franks Collection.

Reginald's plate not only bears a mullet for cadency but the tinctures are reversed.

See http://thornber.net/cheshire/htmlfiles/wythenshawe.html

There is a choice in attribution between father and son, both named Thomas William:

(1) Thomas William Tatton of Wythenshawe, Esq. born 29 Oct. 1783, High Sheriff of Cheshire, 1809, resumed by Royal Licence dated 9 Jan 1806 the name and arms of Tatton on succeeding to the Wythenshawe estates.  Died in London on 2 March 1827. He m. Emma, daughter of the Hon. John Grey, (He was 3rd son of Harry 4th Earl of Stamford and his wife Susannah, the daughter of Ralph Leycester of Toft) on 20 October 1807.  Emma died at Knutsford 28 April 1851, aged 69.  They had one son and eight daughters.  One of the daughters was Sophia Tatton who on 14 May 1840 married John Dixon of Astle.  The eldest sister, Emma Tatton, married on 24 Jan 1832 to Sir Harry Mainwaring of Peover. Bart. 

(2) Thomas William Tatton of Wythenshawe, Esq. born 2 June 1816, High Sheriff of Cheshire 1848.  Died 1885. He m. Harriet Susan, (1819-1873) eldest daughter of Robert Townley Parker of Cuerden Hall, near Preston in Lancashire, on 25 Jan 1843.  She died in London.  The couple had three sons and a daughter. Through Harriet, Astley Hall in Chorley, Lancashire, passed into the Tatton family. The Townley Parkers had acquired it on the marriage of Harriet's grandfather, Thomas Townley Parker (1760-1794) to Susannah Brooke (1762-1852), the sole heiress of this branch of the Brooke family. 

After the death of Capt. Robert Townley Parker (1823–1894) and later his brother Thomas Towneley Parker (1822–1906) the Cuerdon estate passed to their nephew Sir Reginald Arthur Tatton (1857-1926) of Astley Hall.

Condition: Good.

Tatton of Withenshaw
Arms: Quarterly Argent and Gules, in the first and fourth a crescent Sable, in the second and third a crescent of the first.
Crest: A greyhound sejant Argent, collared and tied by a line Gules to an oak tree Proper fructed Or.    

The artwork of Tudor-Radu Tiron

I was first made aware of the artwork of Tudor-Radu Tiron when my friend and colleague John Duncan of Sketraw commissioned him to paint a library picture of his armorial bearings. Tudor has recently finished a commission for another heraldic acquaintance, Richard Globe, and I have to say that I am most impressed.



You can see the full production process on Tudor's weblog:

http://deseneheraldice.blogspot.ro/ 

The American Institute of Heraldry

This link to a video on You tube about the Institute of Heraldry (1969) has recently been posted on the American Heraldry Society Forum.

I thought it worthy of sharing.

http://youtu.be/gK9s9R3x6Fk

Tomlinson's The Heraldry of Cheshire

On Saturday I will be in Macclesfield talking about Knutsford. I'll be giving the same talk I gave to the good people of the town of Knutsford but this time to the members and guests of The Cheshire Heraldry Society. The talk, called Lyon's can't read! The Civic Arms of Knutsford Explained, is based (as you would expect given the title) on the arms designed for Knutsford by H. E. Tomlinson.  

H. Ellis Tomlinson was a one off, a real character. He was born in Cheshire, and moved to the Fylde in 1928 when his father was posted to ICI at Thornton. He attended Baines' as a boy, became Senior Prefect in 1933, and returned as a master in 1940 becoming a legend in his own lifetime affectionately known to generations of boys as 'Toss.'

In his spare time he followed Blackpool FC all over the country starting a love affair with the club when he first arrived in the Fylde up until his last game shortly before his death, a span of 68 years. In 1987 he was asked to write the Centenary History of the club entitled Seasiders: The First 100 Years. At a centenary exhibition at the Grundy Art Gallery he signed copies of his book in his characteristic purple ink and mixed equally well with players and supporters alike.

Outside of teaching and football he was one of the country's leading heraldic experts, having been commissioned to design Coats of Arms for countless local authorities, councils, and a myriad of sporting bodies at home and abroad.

I have a copy of his booklet The Heraldry of Cheshire but if you want to read it it can now be read for free on-line.

Woops! "COMMOM"?

I came across this today and it made me smile (I thought it akin to the Balzup post I made some time ago). I am reliably informed that the mistake has been pointed out to the website owner but, to date, the image remains unaltered.



We all make mistakes of course and I'm sure that this one will be put right quite soon; after all, it pays to give a good impression doesn't it?

This image was found on the website of "The Manorial Counsel of Great Britain" (supporting The Manorial Guild). I wonder if they meant to call it "Council" rather than Counsel? It's a common grammatical error but quite unforgivable if the intention really was to call it Council. Counsel of course means legal adviser (Barrister in the UK) whereas Council (which is what I'm sure they meant) means an assembly of people who serve in an administrative capacity. Given the site's claim to provide legal services, perhaps Counsel is appropriate after all although it might pay to check out their legal qualifications prior to seeking any legal advice and I would advise thinking twice about buying a "title" from the same company who gives you the legal advice (as this site appears to do). My advice to anyone seeking a Manorial Title is to find a good conveyancing lawyer and ask him/her to explain to you the effects of the recent court ruling of  Burton & Bamford v Walker & Others, Land Registry REF/2007/1124 which confirmed that adverse possession, prescription, loss of modern grant, or proprietary estoppel do NOT enable ownership of a Lordship of the Manor title. And further stated that Confirmed ownership requires the presence of all deeds, correctly made up since 1189.  The absence of correct and complete sets of deeds requires Court approval  to confirm ownership. 

Oh, and just in case there is any misunderstanding, the image is probably copyrighted to The Manorial Guild but I freely reproduce it here as being exempt from copyright laws under the Fair Dealing rule. Fair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work. These acts include Criticism and news reporting.