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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
GIFT OF

William F. Freehoff, Jr.

LOAN STACK

GIFT

PREFACE.
In presenting the following account,
entering into

an apology, for
of envy,

please

men

enjoying

public,

Arms have always been

objects

to the

This they could only

common
effect

level, as

nearly as

by withdrawing from

them public opinion and general estimation

and the manner

which Pope, Voltaire, and others have laboured

plish that

to

have frequently aimed at reducing the

and landed classes

possible.

in

a necessity of

and therefore those writers who have endeavoured

the

nobility

I feel

some explanation which may be considered as

to

accom-

end has not been without success, and has been

executed with great art and

nevertheless, that

ability.

But

the fact remains,

armour bearing men have always repre-

sented the sinews and brains of civilised lands heretofore

a class where personal honour and family pride has been the
sole ambition

since the days

when William

landed at Pevensey, upon the

coast of

and scuttled

belief

his ships in the full

the Conqueror

Sussex, and burnt

that the courage

resolution of his handful of armigerous warriors

to

conquer even an empire.

318

was

and

sufficient

Some

Distinguished

Armorial Bearings Described*

CLEMENT (Grant,

Norfolk County.)
Gules, three garbs argent within a bordure sable
bezantee.
Crest A lion passant argent guttee de sang.
Motto " Dieu me conduise."

Arms

BOARDMAN

Wm.

(Granted to
Boardman, of Farrington House, Penwortham, Co. Lanes.)
Arms Gules, on a pile between two stags heads cabossed
or, a stag's head cabossed of the held.
Crest A stag's head erased gules, crusily and horned or.
:

ABERCROMBY. (Granted to Alexander Abercromby,

Grand Falconer

in Scotland, to Charles I.)

Argent, a chevron gules, between three boars'
heads erased azure.

Arms

Crest

Motto

falcon ppr.

Over the Crest, " Petit alta."

Below the Shield, " Mercy is my desire."
Supporters Two greyhounds argent, collared gules.
Titled members of this family have long possessed
" Forglen House," in Banffshire, a stately mansion on ihe left
bank of the River Deveron, near Banff, and famous as the
chief seat of Abercromby. The Royal Arms of Scotland
:

appear over the doors of " Forglen," being graven in stone

immediately above the Abercromby Arms, and commemorate
the fact that the early possessors of this fabric once held the
honour of carrying the Braebennoch or Holy Banner in the
Royal Army.

GREY. (Sir
Arms

John Grey, Berwick, living 1372).

Gules a lion rampant within a bordure engrailed

argent, in the dexter chief point a mullet of the last.

A scaling ladder in bend sinister or, hooked and

Crest

pointed sable.
Motto " De bon vouloir servir
King with good will.)
:

WILDER

le

roy."

(To serve the

(Nunhide, Purley Hall, Co. Berks., descended from Nicholas Wilder, Temp. Henry VII.)
Arms Gules from a fess or, charged with two barrulets
azure, a demi lion rampant, issuant of the second.
Crest A savage's head affrontee, couped at the shoulders,
the temples entwined with woodbine, all ppr.
Motto " Virtuti mcenia cedant."
:

HERALDRY

is

owes

a science which

Tournament

pally to the

since

its

origin princi-

which period the virtues of

the warrior or philosopher have been distinguished by grants

honour and so recorded

of emblematical devices as badges of

by the Heralds.

The

affinity

bearers

was

heralds,

who

in

many
many

names

armorials have to the

frequently designed

of their

purposely intended by the

instances

them

to hold that allusion,

as also from different heroic exploits or other achievements,

which were thereby perpetuated.

Tournament

exploits

in

was one

or Joust

which persons of

most honourable

of the

could be engaged,

distinction

and a Coat-of-Arms was, with but few exceptions, allowed

only to those

who had been

repute in feats of Arms.

engaged

combats

in these

Tournament, or gained some

at
It

to

was the custom

of those

who

wear complete military equipage

with arms on their shields and surcoats and caparisons on their

Before them rode the esquires carrying tilting spears

and helmets to be worn at the exercises adorned with wreaths
horses.

or torses of silk upon which the Crest

As a Knight came near

was

the barrier

fastened.

when

the Joust

received his name,

armorial

was

to

Heralds

be held, trumpets announced his approach while

bearings and other proofs of

nobility.

Next followed
mounted on

their

the introduction of the combatants, who,

ablest horses,

paid due respect to their

sovereign, noblemen, esquires and ladies

then taking their

several stations, and at the sound of a trumpet both at the

same moment couched

their lances, spurred their horses,

galloped fiercely to the attack.

damage they then

horse, he

if

either of

any piece

and

party received any

usually ran three heats, which

very honourable, but

lost his lance, or

If neither

was accounted

them was beaten

off his horse,

of armour, or hurt his adversary's

was disgraced.

From Tournament

therefore rose

the science of

heraldry, the divisions of the shields being taken

modern

from the

dies.

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Tres'.'jre

m
4

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Rusrra

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ft

^Chofpe

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dress used at these exercises, which were often of two colours

or tinctures divided in pale, bend, fess, or otherwise

changed

counter-

into quarterings with a great variety of those figures

which were borne during the combat

all

of

placed within the shield, as a representation,

which were

now

called

an

achievement or a complete armorial bearing.

THE

SHIELD.

The Carthaginians made

of silver,

as other nations, held

those

who

them

lost or alienated

severity as one running

Romans

their shields of gold, the

and the Numidians of elephants'

hides,

who, as well

such repute and honour, that

in

them, were punished with the same

away from

his colours.

The Roman

triumph was the highest honour that could be granted

generals to encourage them to

were mounted on a chariot

precious stones

gilt

They

with gold, adorned with

themselves dressed

to their

serve their country.

complete armour,

in

holding in their hand a general's staff on their thigh, and a

triumphal crown or garland on their head

by the

finest horses that

Marc Antony or by
when he triumphed over Africa.
like that of

The
main

shield

is

the chariot

elephants, as that of

of chief importance in heraldry,

consists of a coloured surface or

are figured those devices which

Nowadays

its

shape

used by ladies.

The

is

drawn

could be had, and sometimes lions,

of

Pompey

and

in the

background upon which

make up

no material

the Coat-of-Arms.

difference, except as

various parts of the surface of a shield

are technically described as follows (Fig. 150)

A = The dexter or right hand chief.

B = The middle chief.
C = The sinister or left hand chief.
D = Honour point.
E = Fess point.
F = Navel point.
G = Dexter base.
H = Middle base.
I = Sinister base.

Fig. 50.

MARKS OF
Or those

figures

DIFFERENCE,

on a Coat-of-Arms which distinguish

the seniority of the divers houses.

in

Their use, however,

no manner compulsory.
Fig. 160.

The

Fig. 161.

Crescent, second son.

Fig. 162.

Mullet, third son.

label of the first son of the first house.

Fig. 163.

Martlet, fourth son.

Fig. 164.

Annulet,

Fig.

Fleur-de-lis, sixth son.

52.

fifth son.

Fig. 140.

Rose, seventh son.

Fig.

Cross moline, eighth son.

89.

Fig. 165.

Double

quartrefoil for ninth or

y y m
Fig. 51.

more

sons.

is

Fig. 52.

-TT^J

Defter.

Bottpny.

<S^4

M.
if Semee

Addorsed

of.

Respecting.

m
IvaterBoi/gtt.

Trefoil.

yf Fb26tew.

Cat-

Trap.

V?
nouro

DecrescenT.

fi

Portcu///s

X)uadrat.

F7ory-

m
1i

Cross I

Round/es

fJ

JL

fblinC FiCch,

'

Flelry.

^C?fy^

LIVERIES.
HOW THEY ARE
The

CHOSEN.

general practice for choice of livery, whether dress or

undress (and as

also applies to carriage adornment)

it

knows no

is

quite

universally determined by

the colours of the wreath, or

what

is

same

law, except that the

upon which

easily understood

rests the family crest.

The wreath
dominate in the

For instance

usually of those two colours which pre-

is

shield, that

is,

alternately a metal

and colour.

If the colour

azure, blue

more

which make up the twisted cloth or base

as those colours

which

chiefly predominates in the shield

would be used

in either dress or

be

undress livery.

Argent, would be white.

Gules,

a claret colour, and not red, for such

is

rogative of royalty only.

Or,

yellow.

Purpure, purple.
Sable,

Vert,

black.

green.

Ermine, Erminites, Ermines and Pean,

Erminois,

gold.

Vair, or potent,

blue and

white.

white.

the pre-

BOYD
OF KILMARNOCK
Fig. 191.
Fig. 193.

considerable part of

sarily consists of details

amusement

topographical sketches neces-

is left,

calculated to afford

little

Of

to the general reader.

ancient Britons no trace

and

the habitations of the

may

it

be

fairly

admitted

rude though independent race were content with

that that

The cromlech,

simple structures.

basins, foundation circles,

idols

all

which are

logan stones,

the

and what are supposed

rock

be rock

to

by many antiquaries as unquestionable

are adduced

proof that the Druids abounded, and that in principal force

in

Much

Devonshire.

information

them from ancient and authentic

means

of inquiry,

Britain.

seem Druidism

who had

the best

and although the greater part of

descriptions relate to the Continent,

cable to

obtained respecting

is

writers,

This we learn from Caesar, so

Britain

in

their

they are not less appli-

was the parent

might

it

In

stock.

origin this religion was'pure, inculcating the belief of one

many

but by degrees, in the course of

lated a hideous

Romans

it

mass

their sacrifices,

The more

and
if

it

had accumu-

most extravagant and

their

own

lavish

human

of

strangers being alike slain at

were put

disciples

wilfully tardy in

coming

to death

to their assemblies.

precious the victim, the more acceptable to the

Gods," was one of their maxims

their

the

into

They were extremely

criminals, captives and

without mercy

ages,

corruption, until in the time of the

had degenerated

cruel superstition.

blood

of

children

were

sacrificed

death was inflicted by a

hence princes and even

on special occasions.

variety

of

modes,

This

some being

some

shot with arrows, others were crucified in their temples,

impaled and others offered up as burnt

this horrid

its

God,

sacrifices.

During

ceremony trumpets were sounded without

mission to drown the cries of the victims.

inter-

Intemperance

in

drinking generally closed the scene, and the altar

was always
consecrated afresh by strewing oak leaves upon it. Such
was Devonshire in its early days, a district we now know as

one of the largest counties, with the exception of Yorkshire,

and also one of the most important,

beautiful scenery chiefly abounds

for

while

here grand and

its

antiquities

and

and gentry, so common

seats of the nobility

have supplied materials

district,

The

not less than the topographer and historian.

this

end of our island

and salubrious

so highly celebrated for

is

qualities that

Camden, " Darmonii

"

name given by

the

is

name which

original inhabitants, or a

climate at

mildness

its

not unusual for invalids to

According

recovery of their health.

retire there for the

Phoenicians "

is

it

great

to this

for the operation of the arts,

Solinus to

to
its

signifies to the ancient

else,

may we

justly boast our superiority over every other state in

Europe,

in the

of

hills

Here,

tin."

grand display of county

nowhere

if

seats, presenting

of variety in the architectural embellishment,

by a landscape smiling with

Here
ment

the

extended

rapidly

cultivation.

landed and

and

customs

acquired

durable style of architecture

introduced a refine-

first

wherever

abandoned

our ancestors

and

ings,

Romans

manners

in

a succession

and surrounded

their

their

dominion

cave-like

dwell-

ornamental,

regular,

and

and the numerous and complete

vestiges of tesselated pavements, baths, etcetera, at different

times discovered, sufficiently prove that every convenience

and elegant embellishment was

during

the

extent

of

their

been possessed by the

in

use by that refined people

power

and

here,

it

must have

Roman-Britons, who

incorporated

remained after the calling back of the

legions in order to

defend the heart of the empire.

By

the

situation,

Norman Conquest we were placed in a far better

from Normandy the arts which that
They
people had for centuries cultivated.

receiving

enlightened

were a nation fond of

the

introduction of

state

the

and military splendour, and with

Feudal system, a castle became

necessary to every large estate, in the construction of which

defence was the principal object aimed

ruins of these fortresses

that

mighty

illustrate the instability of the

work

relentless course, spares not the lofty

fort,

and under

its

at.

effort

of

The crumbling
human power

of

man.

Time,

in its

tower or the embattled

withering touch the pride and pageantry of

Of

kings are but as nothing.

age of chivalry,

how few

more

ing day by day, attest

all

the massive structures of the

and

vestiges remain,

these, moulder-

forcibly than even

utter destruc-

tion, the insignificance of earthly objects.

Grand
of

God

gallant

is

the contrasted, the undying beauty of the

The same azure

knights within their

centuries ago,

still

landscapes and

battled

enlivens with

hills,

whose sunbeams

sky,

its

towers

six

works

fell

on

and more

bright reflection, lovely

while cool streams flow on as of old

through their deep trench of solid rock, chalk, or clay, and

the eye can yet dwell on the
first

same impressive scenery

that

attracted to each particular spot the several leaders there

settled.

Next

to the

which has the most

feudal castle,

is

enduring pre-eminence of nature, that

lasting existence in

connection with the

the halo that the achievements of successive

possessors shed around

its

tottering ruins

and

few memorials of the past can vie with them.

Fig. 149.

10

in this respect

A.Dexter Chief,

EFesse

B.PreciseniddleCh

P.

Point.

Nombril.

C.Snister Chief.

C.DexterBase.

D. Honour Point.

H.Exact.nid:Base.

DISTINCTIONS
FIRST

of

HOUSES

HOUSE

SECOND HOUSE

THIRD HOUSE

FOURTH HOUSE

FIFTH

SIXTH

HOUSE

HOUSE

14 DAY USE
WHICH BORROWED
RETURN TO DESK FROM

LOAN

DEPT.

due oq the last

TK
This book is ouc

Ke^r-j97sT

MAR1_9
rec'ci circ.

MAR 1

UD 2lA-45m-9,'67
(H5067sl0)4(

or
date stamped below,

renewed.

U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES

CDi42n312E

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