John Brereton, Alderman, 1631

Another Brereton added to the Funeral Certificates.

John Brereton, Alderman, 1631Arms: Quarterly of ten; 1, Argent, two bars Sable, a martlet on a crescent Or for difference; 2, Argent, a chevronel between three crescents Gules; 3, Ermine, three mascles Gules; 4, Or, a raven Sable; 5, Argent, an escarbuncle of six rays Gules; 6, Argent, a cross couped fleury Sable; 7, ........ a cross Ermine; 8, Azure, a chief Gules, over all a lion rampant Or; 9, Ermine, two chevronels Azure, a crescent for difference Or; 10, Per pale indented Argent and Sable.

Crest: A bear's head couped Sable, muzzled Or, a martlet on a crescent for difference.

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/funeral-certificates/certificates-4.html

The Hon: Sir John Brereton, Knight, 1629.

Latest addition to the Funeral Certificates, the arms of The Hon: Sir John Brereton, Knight, 1629.

The Hon: Sir John Brereton, Knight, 1629.
Arms: Quarterly of 12 coats; 1 Argent, two bars Sable; 2 Argent, an inescutcheon within a double tressure counter-flory Gules; 3 Or, three piles in point Gules; 4 Quarterly; 1 and 4 Azure three garbs Or; 2 and 3 Azure, a wolf's head erased Argent; 5 Gules, three pheons Argent; 6 Azure, three garbs Or; 7 Azure, a wolf's head erased Argent; 8 Argent, a cross flory Azure; 9 Argent, a lion rampant Gules within an orle of pheons Sable; 10 Or, two ravens Sable; 11 Ermine, five chevronels Gules on a canton of the second a lion passant Or; 12 Gules, two lions passant Argent a label of three points Or. (Over the whole a label of three points Sable for difference).

Crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or, a bear's head  Sable muzzled Gules garnished Gold and gorged with  label of three points Argent.

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/funeral-certificates/certificates-4.html

Despicable trading practices of Bucket Shops

Despicable trading practices of Bucket Shops

I have recently had to turn down an application to register the arms of Augustus. Not only did the arms not belong to the applicant but simple research showed that they weren't even the arms of anyone named Augustus. I attach a very simple report sent to a very disappointed "armiger" who had in fact been ripped off by yet another Bucket Shop. This sort of trading is despicable.

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/misrepresentation-of-the-armorial-bearings-of-augustus.pdf

Funeral Certificates - Boulton

The Armorial Bearings recorded in the Cheshire and Lancashire Funeral Certificates 

William Boulton, Gentleman, 1629.Arms: Argent, on a bend engrailed Gules three leopards' faces of the first.
Crest: On a holly bush Vert, fructed Gules, a hawk with wings expanded Argent.

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/funeral-certificates/certificates-4.html

The Visitations of 1613

I am presently working on editing the version of the Visitations of 1613 for publication in book form.

Here is a taster:

http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/cheshire-heraldry-1613-selection-pages.pdf

Whimsical Wilmslow

It seems that Wilmslow Town Council is seeking "a new identity" with Members no longer sure that their armorial bearings serve the purpose of identifying the town. This is a great pity and most probably results from the usual lack of understanding of how armorial bearings can be displayed. They are apparently (according to one Councillor) "quite a cheerful little thing' with some history behind it it doesn't stand out very well - particularly compared to other logos, such as the Cheshire East Council one." I have to say that to state that the Cheshire East logo stands out more than the arms of Wilmslow really is missing the point of heraldry; the only reason the Cheshire East logo is recognisable as being the logo of Cheshire East is because the name Cheshire East is written all over it!

In these days of austerity, when many Councils would find it hard to justify the expenditure involved in the petition for a new grant of arms from Her Majesty's Officers of Arms, surely it is appropriate for the electorate to challenge the unnecessary expenditure which will inevitable arise in the commission of a new logo?

Let us remind ourselves of the history behind this "cheerful little thing".

Granted on June 21, 1951 by The College of Arms and therefore having the authority of the Crown behind them, the arms are based on those of the Cheshire family of Fitton - Argent on a Bend Azure three Garbs Or (derived from those of the Earldom of Chester). The wavy bends were added for difference and also allude to the rivers Bollin and Dean.

The arms of Fitton.

The bear's head is derived from the crest of the Beretons and the silver estoile is from the Handforth arms, a reference to the families that held the Manor of Handforth. The crown is from the insignia of the Greg family, who operated the earliest cotton mills at Styal, refered to by the wreath of cotton.

Bookplate of John Vardon

One of the pleasures of editing the Cheshire Heraldry website over the years is that I have benefited from speaking to and corresponding with many people who share my enthusiasm and one such person is Philip Beddows of the City of London who very kindly sent the bookplate of John Vardon to add to my collection.

Verdon, Alton, county Stafford; Or, fretty Gules a crescent for difference.

Mr. Beddows writes:

“John Vardon lived at No. 3 Gracechurch Street in the City of London and came from Congleton in Cheshire. His family’s name was spelt “Verdon” until the later 1600s. They were one of the cadet branches of the de Verduns of Alton, who settled in Cheshire – at Woodford and Fulshaw, Wilmslow. They are remembered in the name of Vardentown near Alderley, which was originally spelt Verdontown.

The other Verdons whose heraldry appears in quarters of some Cheshire families, Sable, a lion rampant Argent, are the Norfolk branch of the family. These arms were recorded at the Dunstable Tournament in 1309, where members of the de Verdons of Norfolk were present with the head of the family, from Alton; the need to tell them apart from each other at the tournament may be the reason for the difference in their heraldry.”

Thank you Philip, I am most grateful.