Genealogy Chat

That sounds like a new good 'off the strictly genealogical line ' topic to me!!!

Going round a stately home with a friend recently, we were discussing what our arms should be. I fancy: Argent keyboard on a gules background, with supporters of a couch and a potato.

Phoenix It wasnt just the Victorians who produced spurious pedigrees either _ I am just reading a book about beds(!) which states that an up and coming middle class merchant paid the 'King's Herald' for a Coat of Arms and a made up pedigree to go with it, in 1485! OC

Im waiting for the day I find a proper one in my lot - Im a bit hopeful with the Verralls down in Sussex now and possibly a derivation of Horstead - Hosted - up here in Norfolk. If it proves so, I shall go to every meet wearing full regalia - for both of them.

Properly applied, coats of arms can be extremely useful. A C19th anorak used the coat of arms on a tomb to prove that a printed pedigree was completely wrong - and I've backed this up with all sorts of other sources that he might not have had access to. On another line, the herald sniffily says that my ancestor PAID for his coat of arms. Through the ages, families have aspired to coats of arms. They have assumed their wives' arms, paid for them and in several instances the heralds have written ignobilis by my ancestors' names, as they weren't entitled. Any Victorian item with a coat of arms would be suspect, as very similar firms have operated in the past, only then they produced dubious pedigrees to 'prove' you were entitled.

Sorry, but I have to say this.... Just because you have a particular surname, does not mean you are descended from the family that was granted a Family Crest. Many armigerous families are extremely old, certainly pre 1066. For 500 years they had serfs, who had no surname - they belonged to the Lord of the Manor and didnt NEED a surname. When surnames became more useful for ordinary people, they often took the name of the Manor as their surname - and many ancient villages were Manors. So the fact that your surname is Bloggs doesnt necessarily indicate that you came from the great landowning Bloggs family - your ancestors may have been humble serfs on the Manor, who owed their very existence to the Lord of the Manor. I believe it is illegal to display a Coat of Arms to which you are not entitled - and you would KNOW if you were entitled to it. And the rightful owner of the Family Crest might be exceedingly miffed to see you displaying a Family Crest to which you had no entitlement. As Heather said, this is an American thing - they do not seem to understand the nuances of Crests and Arms and can produce one for anyone at all. Whether its yours or not is another thing entirely - probably not! Its a bit of fun - don't take it seriously and certainly don't hand over a penny. OC

Oh, it must be the same one then - I bet its US based, eh?

Heather, I agree with what you say, just another money making gimmick in my estimation.

Be very wary, if this is the same site, they try to sell you bits and pieces with 'your crest' on. To be honest if you made up a name theyd probably find a crest to match it!

nudging so I can find this later

couldnt find anything at tarvin re rellies- only a couple of youds for someone-a lot of the graves are weather beaten-was very surprised at the extent of decay .

You can look up your own family crests at: http://www(.)allfamilycrests(.)com remove brackets