but a few early representations the feathers of the legs are seen without the legs or claws. The martlet indicates both swallow and martin, and in the arms of the Cornish Arundels the martlets must stand for “hirundels” or swallows.
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| Monthermer. | Siggeston. | Gavaston. | Graunson. |
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| Arundel. |
The falcon or hawk is borne as a rule with close wings, so that he may not be taken for the eagle. In most cases he is there to play on the bearer’s name, and this may be said of most of the flight of lesser birds.
Naunton bore “Sable three martlets silver.”
Heron bore “Azure three herons silver.”
Fauconer bore “Silver three falcons gules.”
Hauvile bore “Azure a dance between three hawks gold.”
Twenge bore “Silver a fesse gules between three popinjays (or parrots) vert.”
Cranesley bore “Silver a cheveron gules between three cranes azure.”
Asdale bore “Gules a swan silver.”
Dalston bore “Silver a cheveron engrailed between three daws’ heads razed sable.”
Corbet bore “Gold two corbies sable.”
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| Seymour. | Naunton. | Fauconer. | Twenge. |
Cockfield bore “Silver three cocks gules.”
Burton bore “Sable a cheveron sable between three silver owls.”
Rokeby bore “Silver a cheveron sable between three rooks.”
Duffelde bore “Sable a cheveron silver between three doves.”
Pelham bore “Azure three pelicans silver.”
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| Asdale. | Corbet. | Cockfield. | Burton. |
Sumeri (13th century) sealed with arms of “A peacock with his tail spread.”
John Pyeshale of Suffolk (14th century) sealed with arms of “Three magpies.”
Fishes, Reptiles and Insects.—Like the birds, the fishes are borne for the most part to call to mind their bearers’ names. Unless their position be otherwise named, they are painted as upright in the shield, as though rising towards the water surface. The dolphin is known by his bowed back, old artists making him a grotesquely decorative figure.
Lucy bore “Gules three luces (or pike) silver.”
Heringaud bore “Azure, crusilly gold, with six golden herrings.”
Fishacre bore “Gules a dolphin silver.”
La Roche bore “Three roach swimming.”
John Samon (14th century) sealed with arms of “Three salmon swimming.”
Sturgeon bore “Azure three sturgeon swimming gold, with a fret gules over all.”
Whalley bore “Silver three whales’ heads razed sable.”
Shell-fish would hardly have place in English armory were it not for the abundance of scallops which have followed their appearance in the banners of Dacre and Scales. The crest of the Yorkshire Scropes, playing upon their name, was a pair of crabs’ claws.
Dacre bore “Gules three scallops silver.”
Shelley bore “Sable a fesse engrailed between three whelk-shells gold.”
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| Rokeby. | Pelham. | Lucy. | Fishacre. |
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| Roche. |
Reptiles and insects are barely represented. The lizards in the crest and supporters of the Ironmongers of London belong to the 15th century. Gawdy of Norfolk may have borne the tortoise in his shield in the same age. “Silver three toads sable” was quartered as a second coat for Botreaux of Cornwall in the 16th century—Botereau or Boterel signifying a little toad in the old French tongue—but the arms do not appear on the old Botreaux seals beside their ancient bearing of the griffon. Beston bore “Silver a bend between six bees sable” and a 15-century Harbottle seems to have sealed with arms of three bluebottle flies. Three butterflies are in the shield of Presfen of Lancashire in 1415, while the winged insect shown on the seal of John Mayre, a King’s Lynn burgess of the age of Edward I., is probably a mayfly.
Human Charges.—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 see of Salisbury bearing the Virgin and Child in a blue field. And old crests have demi-Saracens and falchion men, coal-miners, monks and blackamoors. Sowdan bore in his shield a turbaned soldan’s head; Eady, three old men’s “’eads”! Heads of maidens, the “winsome marrows” of the ballad, are in the arms of Marow. 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.
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| Dacre.Shelley.See of Salisbury.Isle of Man. |
Miscellaneous 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 (espek). Tuck had a stabbing sword or “tuck.” Bent bows were borne by Bowes, an arblast 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; Bilsby a hammer or “beal”; Malet showed mallets. The chamberlain’s key is in the shield of a Chamberlain, and the spenser’s key in that of a Spenser. Porter bore the porter’s bell, Boteler the butler’s cup. Three-legged pots were borne by Monbocher.
