Man and the parts of him play but a small part in
English shields, and we have nothing to put beside such a coat as that
of the German Manessen, on which two armed knights attack each other’s
hauberks with their teeth. But certain arms of religious houses and the
like have the whole figure, the seal of Salisbury bearing the Virgin and
Child in a blue field. And old crests have demi-Saracens,
coal-miners, monks and blackamoors. Sowdan bore in his shield a turbaned
soldan’s head. The Stanleys,
as kings of Man, quartered the famous three-armed legs whirling
mill-sail fashion, and Tremayne of the west bore three men’s arms in
like wise. Gules three hands silver was for Malmeyns as early as the
13th century, and Tynte of Colchester displayed hearts.
Miscellaneous Family Crest Charges
Other charges of the shield are less frequent
but are found in great variety, the reason for most of them being the
desire to play upon the bearer’s name.
Weapons and the like are rare, having regard to the military
associations of armory. Daubeney bore three helms; Philip Marmion took
with his wife, the coheir of Kilpek, the Kilpek shield of a sword
(espele). Tuck had a stabbingsword. Bent bows were borne by
Bowes, an arbiast by Arblaster, arrows by Archer, birding-bolts or
bosouns by Bosun, the mangonel by Mangnall. The three lances of Amherst
is probably a medieval coat; Leweston had battle-axes.
A scythe was in the shield of Praers; Picot had picks; Busby a hammer
or beal; Malet showed mallets. The chamberlain key is in the shield
of a Chamberlain, and the spenser’s key in that of a Spenser. Porter
bore the porter’s hell, Botelei the butler’s cup. Three-legged pots were
borne by Monbocher.
Crowns are for Coroun. Yarde had. yard-wands; Bordoun a burdon or
pilgrim’s staff.
Of horse-furniture we have the stirrups of Scudamore and Giffard, the
horse-barnacles of Bernake, and the horse-shoes borne by many branches
and tenants of the house of Ferrers.
Of musical instruments there are pipes, trumps and harps for Pipe,
Trumpington and Harpesfeld. Hunting horns are common among families
bearing such names as Forester or Home. Remarkable charges are the three
organs of Grenville, who held of the house of Clare, the lords of
Glamorgan.
Combs play on the name of Tunstall, and gloves (wauns or gauns) on
that of Wauncy. Hose were borne by Hoese; buckles by a long list of
families. But the most notable of the charges derived from clothing is
the hanging sleeve familiar in the arms of Hastings, Conyers and Mansel.
Chess-rooks, hardly to be distinguished from the roe or roquet at the
head of a jousting-lance, were borne by Rokewode and by many more.
Topcliffe had pegtops in his shield, while Ambesas had a cast of three
dice which should each show the point of one, for "to throw ambesace"
is an ancient phrase used of those who throw three aces.
Although we are a sea-going people, there are few ships in our
armory, most of these in the arms of sea-ports. Anchors are commoner.
Castles and towers, bridges, portcullises and gates have all
examples, and a minister-church was the curious charge borne by the
ancient house of Musters of Kirklington.
Letters of the alphabet are very rarely found in ancient armory; but
three capital T’s, in old English script, were borne by Toft of Cheshire
in the 14th century. In the period of decadence whole words or
sentences, commonly the names of military or naval victories, are often
seen.
Free Family Crests
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