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Does Your Family Have a Coat Of Arms


A key fact to keep in mind is that coats of arms are not and never have been granted to families. They’re granted to individuals and belong to individuals. Arms can, however, be inherited. According to an informational brochure, “Heraldry for United States Citizens,” published by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):

  • Anyone whose uninterrupted male-line immigrant ancestor was entitled to use a coat of arms has the right to use this same coat of arms.

  • If the uninterrupted male-line immigrant ancestor has no such right, then neither does the descendant.

  • Anyone who claims the right to arms under European laws must prove uninterrupted male-line descent.

  • As an exception, United States citizens can obtain a grant or confirmation of their arms—from the College of Arms in England or other appropriate national heraldic authorities in other countries—by payment of required fees.

The History of Coats of Arms

Coats of arms developed in the 12th century as a means to identify armored knights during tournaments and on the battlefield. Any fighting man owned a sword and shield, carried a banner, and wore a helmet, all of which his son would one day inherit. Behind a closed helmet, it was impossible to tell one man from another except by the decoration of his shield and banner and the ornaments on the helmet. The term “armory” relates to the emblems, “armoury” to weapons. Warriors also wore a decorated “surcoat,” or fabric overlay, over their armor — hence the term “coat of arms.”

As time went on, these emblems became a means of personal identification, as a way to allow an owner to mark items of value, such as silver, and to engrave bookplates and stationery. In 1484, Richard III established the College of Arms and assigned heralds to visit households across England to record each owner’s design. This happened between 1530 and 1686.


Included in a coat of arms:

Crest - a figure or symbol attached to the top of the helmet.

Helmet - The helmet supports the crest. Positioning of the helmet represents rank.

Wreath - originally a piece of twisted silk showing two colors; it is located at the base of the crest and was used to attach the mantle to the helmet. Most often, the wreath shows six twists of alternating colors of the shield.

Mantle - a piece of fabric attached to the knight’s helmet in order to protect him from the sun’s heat, completes the design.

Motto - a ribbon below or over the achievement, which carries a statement of fact, a hope, or a battle cry.

Shield - clearly the most important part of the coat of arms. It is made up of a field (the surface or background) and the charges (the symbols on the field). If the achievement belongs to a lady, the field will be diamond-shaped (a lozenge) rather than a shield. The field contains many different ordinaries and sub-ordinaries — geometric bands or shapes that divide the field, such as crosses, chevrons, and stripes. The shield can become quite complex, with more terms than you’d care to know and remember. In describing a coat of arms (known as blazoning), the field is always stated first, and the components are described as being dexter (right side of the wearer), sinister (left side of the wearer), chief (top), fess (middle) and base (bottom).

Tinctures - the colors, precious metals, and furs on a coat of arms—are also represented by words and patterns.

Hatchment - the funeral achievement. This is the painted coat of arms which is exclusively associated with death, funerals, and mourning.

A coat of arms indicates the profession, order of birth, rank, ancestry, and so much more!


If you would like to find out if your ancestry contains a coat of arms, contact the College of Arms, at https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/




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