Oh dear - what a balzup!

Most armorists I know have "issues" with heraldic bucket shops ; but there is generally little we can do and so we tend to just jog along uncomfortably side by side. Nowadays the vendor usually starts his sales pitch with something akin to "we guarantee to research and find your family coat of arms" but somewhere, usually in the smallest of small print, he will have a disclaimer stating that coats of arms do not belong to surnames but to individuals; I like to convince myself that many purchasers of these memorials go on to become real heraldry students and if that is the case then it ain't so bad.

Just occasionally however, a really appalling example of ignorance comes to my attention. This one perpetuates the cringe-worthy myth that charges and tinctures have fixed and romantic meanings.  Worst of all though is the absolute marketing faux pas of making the type of fundamental spelling error on your advertising material indicating that you really don't know your subject at all.



The really sad thing is that he will have actually sold some of these and they will be proudly displayed by their owners all over the world!

A Mainwaring dilemma.

The armorial bearings of Mainwaring of Nantwich as recorded in the Visitations of 1613 are: Argent, two bars Gules, in chief a mascle Sable. In the College of Arms ruling entitled "The Bearing of Arm by Women decreed by the Kings of Arms in 1997" it is stated that "An unmarried woman may continue to bear her paternal arms on a lozenge, oval or similar vehicle of display (not being an escutcheon or a colourable imitation thereof) or on a banner". Taking these rules, the Mainwaring of Nantwich armorial bearings can be borne by father and unmarried daughter as illustrated below:



This creates something of a dilemma when the arms on a lozenge are interpreted per the above direction because rule 9 states that "Divorced women should (as hitherto) revert to their paternal arms on a lozenge until remarriage; the use of a mascle to indicate divorce will be optional".

The mascle in the Mainwaring arms is anything but optional; perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions when applying the 1997 rules!

Hockenhull of Prenton

Latest updated image on the website is that of Hockenhull of Prenton. The crest of the arms as recorded in the 1613 Visitations differs to that of 1580. The 1580 crest is that of Hockenhull of Hockenhull differenced (for cadency) by a crescent as in the arms however, that of 1613 has dispensed with the crescent and differenced the crest by way of changing the tinctures of the arrowhead.

Hockenhull of PrentonArms: Quarterly
1 & 4 Argent, an ass's head erased Sable, a crescent for cadency [Hockenhull]
2 Sable, three crescents Argent [Gleave]
3 Argent, on a bend Sable three spears' heads of the first [Prenton]

Crest: A buck's head Argent, erased and attired Or, pierced through the nostrils with an arrow Argent, headed in base Azure.

The Origins of Fabulous Beasts

Just a reminder that tomorrow Ralph Brocklebank, FRHSC, FHS will present his talk on The Origins of Fabulous Beasts to The Cheshire Heraldry Society.



Details of all the society's talks can be found here.

The application of heraldry.

I am quite often called upon to give a very brief written (postal) response to an heraldic or family genealogical question and so for quite some time now I have been toying with the idea of having some postcards printed with my arms on the image side. Having explored the cost of this, I found it to be relatively expensive and so the idea fell into abeyance.

Earlier this month it occurred to me that my broadband provider has a number of perks, one of which is the ability to automatically back up ones computer files onto their mainframe at regular intervals along with online storage of images. Included with this is the ability to have 50 photos professionally printed off free of charge each month (the first three months post and packaging was also free). Unless you are an absolute photo enthusiast, eventually the desire to have ones photos printed off wains and the perk becomes forgotten. I decided to take advantage of the offer once more and had fifty of the same image printed off onto a postcard sized photo. I paid less than a pound sterling for postage and today they arrived. I shall use them as glossy postcards or postal notes for those quick replies.

A quick and inexpensive application of heraldry.

Marvelous  :)

Congratulations to a fellow heraldic blogger.

I have just heard that Fr Guy W D Selvester, a well known and respected amateur herald and fellow blogger has been accepted by the Académie Internationale d'Héraldique as an Associate Member. This is a signal honor as Fr Guy is only the third citizen of the United States who is currently a member. Fr Guy is thought to be the only clergyman member at the moment.

Membership is in two categories: Academician (of which there are only ever 75 at one time) and Associate. Fr Guy stated that he is "very pleased indeed".

Hearty congratulations are extended to Fr Guy from here at Cheshire Heraldry.

Caldecott and Cartoons

I've just revamped the Caldecott arms for the illustrations of the 1613 Visitations and I was reminded that the illustrator of children's books, Ralph Caldecott, had an interest in his own family heraldry going so far as to depict he and his brother (who had co-authored with him their one and only book "Aesop's Fables") in humorous heraldic cartoon form. The image can be found inside the cover of Aesop's Fables.

I am grateful to the Randolf Caldecott Society UK for the image which illustrates this piece.



Their arms are:

Arms: Argent, a fess Azure fretted Or between three Cinquefoils Gules.
 Crest:  On a wreath an Ostrich proper.