Do you have the right to bear arms?
Published Saturday November 7th, 2009
Several years ago, before I found evidence of where my surname came from when my older brother showed me a crest created on wood.
He had met a man at a kiosk in the mall who had information about our surname and the family crest associated with it. My brother ordered the crest and the family history.
While I studied the crest, my brother explained that the man told him our surname was French and our ancestors originated in France.
I looked at my brother, skeptical of this claim.
How could our surname be French with first names like William, John, Nicolas and Elisabeth? There were no names like Pierre, Mary Magdalen or Louis in our family.
A short time later, when I found documented evidence that our family was originally German, I felt bad that my brother had been suckered by the kiosk salesman. And I wondered how many others had bought phoney crests and family histories.
Did they believe this information was fact, too? And did they pass these lies on to others?
The truth is, not all families have family crests, correctly known as 'coats of arms.' The crest is only a small section of the entire design and was usually depicted above the helmet.
Some used the crest as a personal badge, and some badges were worn by those loyal to the coat of arms bearer. These badges also decorated personal belongings.
Not every coat of arms can be used by everyone with that surname. Obviously, not everyone with the same surname is related, but there is another reason; only proven direct descendants have the right to bear arms.
Sons inherit the coat of arms from their father and add their own cadency to it.
When the father dies, the oldest son removes his personal cadency, reverting the coat of arms back to its original design. Daughters can also inherit the coat of arms if no sons are living.
These rules reveal that a coat of arms was designated for a single living individual, not a family. Coat of arms are like an individual's signature and were used as seals on documents.
Historically, coat of arms were worn by knights to distinguish one soldier from another. Dressed in armour and headgear, it was almost impossible to tell the good guys from the bad, so the coat of arms adorned clothing, shields, banners and horse dressings.
Coats of arms were also used during tournaments to distinguish competitors.
The official office regulating coats of arms and the granting of new arms for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the College of Arms (http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/).
It was founded by King Richard III in 1484. To learn more about coat of arms granted in Scotland, visit the Court of the Lord Lyon (http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/CCC_FirstPage.jsp). Canada has its own heraldic office, the Canadian Heraldic Authority (http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=81).
Researcher's File
Seeking information on Evelyn McFarlane who was born in 1920/1922 at Amherst, NS to John McFarlane and his wife. Evelyn's son was born May 25, 1940 at Amherst and given up for adoption. Evelyn had a second child, Sandra Lee Mazzerolle in 1945. Contact Evelyn's son's grandchild: Hayley Wells, 73 Woodlawn Rd., Dorchester, NB, E4K 3A7; email: hayleywells@hotmail.com
* Diana Lynn Tibert is a freelance writer living in Milford, NS. Submit a query. It's free! : RR#1 Milford, Hants County, NS, B0N 1Y0; email: tibert@ns.sympatico.ca
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