Sir William Lee Bt. (IV of Hartwell)

Another Hartwell baronet added to my bookplate collection. This would be the William born 1799 (IV baronet of Hartwell) who married Lady Elizabeth Harcourt. The impaled arms are those of Harcourt: Gules, two bars Or.

Heraldic Badge

In a recent discussion in the Heraldry Society of Scotland forum I was reminded that Lord Lyon Balfour Paul wrote in Heraldry in Relation to Scottish History and Art, p.126: “What should be put on liveries is the badge which can be selected at the individual will of the owner.” I am of course aware that more recent Lords Lyon have lent the impression that they have assumed authority over the granting of badges (restricting the granting of them to certain ranks) and that very recently, post the Abolition of Feudal Tenure, a statement has been issued to the effect that newly minted feudal barons (Scottish) will not be granted badges (or standards) however, there remains a view that Lyon’s grant (or recognition) is not required; one writer participating in the discussion commented that “The fact that recent Lyons have allowed or disallowed badges is irrelevant because Lyon has no authority over them. Anyone, including post AFT barons, may assume badges at will, and if Lyon does elect to grant them, they have no greater authenticity than assumed ones. The Lord Lyon is King of Arms, not the Grand Panjandrum. Balfour Paul was quoted as an authoritative ( = knowledgeable) source.”

This discussion has been of great interest to me not least because Balfour Paul’s authoritative comment brought me to the undoubted fact that for a great many years now I have had the quiet enjoyment of my own heraldic badge (and I have not sought “official” recognition of that badge from anyone as I have never felt that I needed it). With a few moments to spare this afternoon, I mocked up my own “statement of fact” which is, I suppose, a statement of assumption; unfortunately, I have been using the badge for so long now, I can’t recall the actual date of its invention.

Leicester of Tabley

Newly added to the Visitations series at http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/visitations1663/CV1663_9.html

Leicester of Tabley
Arms: Quarterly:
1 & 4 Azure, a fess Gules fretty Or between three fleur-de-lis of the last.
2 & 3 Azure, a garb Or [Grosvenor]
Crest: A swan's head and neck erased Argent guttee de sang.     

Bookplate Peter Sherston Esquire Lincolns Inn 1758

Newly acquired to the bookplate collection, this one caught my eye because it is an example of what I feel is the correct orientation for a buglehorn (as opposed to the Scots tradition which places horns the other way). To me, it makes sense that a bugle horn should face to the dexter because this is the default position for practically all charges and if one imagines the default position for a bugler blowing his horn as a charge then this is the way the horn would face.

Ex Libris Armorial Bookplate Peter Sherston Esquire Lincolns Inn 1758

Arms: Sable, a cinquefoil Or between three buglehorns Argent stringed of the second.

Mantling: Sable and Or.

Crest: On a wreath of the colours, a stag lodged reguardant Or, armed and hoofed Gules, charged on the shoulder with a cinquefoil Vert.

There is an entry for his descendant, Major Charles Davies Sherston J.P., in Fox Davies’ Armorial Families.

Perhaps I shouldn't support it!

Lyon Court recently tweeted an image of the armorial bearings of Lord Boyd-Orr ...



and it got me thinking. ....

 

Only joking ... honest.

Christmas Cuff Links

Ordered from http://www.mypersonaljewellery.co.uk/ I received a gift of personal heraldic cuff-links from sandy this Christmas.

 

Edward Osborne (1530 - 1592)

I quite often receive enquiries from readers who can't follow or translate a blazon and this morning I received an enquiry about the arms of Edward Osborne from a reader who had found a reference to his armorial bearings in Genealogical Memoirs of the Extinct Family of Chester of Chicheley, Their Ancestors and Descendants.

The enquiry  went thus:

I am having trouble understanding what is meant by the following description of the English coat of arms for Edward Osborne (1530 - 1592).  It is described as... "argent two bars gules on a canton of the last, a cross of the first in chief, a crescent for difference". [reference Genealogical Memoirs of the Extinct Family of Chester of Chicheley, Their Ancestors and Descendants Robert Edmond Chester Waters - page 233]

There are several Osborne coats of arms, but this doesn't seem to match any. 

Any help would be appreciated" 

I'm not sure whether the enquirer placed some of the punctuation in the blazon correctly and it may well be that this fact alone didn't help. It may also have been the tradition of using "of the last" and "of the second" which often confounds the novice.

Here's my take on the blazon and the resultant emblazonment:

The Armorial Bearings of Edward Osborne (1530 - 1592).  

Argent, two bars Gules on a canton of the Last a cross of the First in chief a crescent for difference. 

Argent = silver or more commonly depicted as white. The first tincture is always that of the field of the shield.

two bars Gules = the two bars placed upon the shield and they are Gules (red).

on a canton of the Last = a canton of the last mentioned tincture which is Gules (red)

a cross of the First = a cross of the first mentioned tincture which is Argent (white)

in chief a crescent for difference = placed upon the shield in chief point is a crescent denoting a cadency mark for the second son. [It matters not what the tincture of the crescent is as long as it stands out]

Putting it all together the blazon can be emblazoned to produce these armorial bearings: