Heraldic Terminologies

Achievements, spelt sometimes atchievements, and more frequently hatchments: coats of arms in general, and particularly those funeral escutcheons, which being placed upon the fronts of houses or in churches, or elsewhere, set forth the rank and circumstances of the deceased. The arms upon the latter may in all cases be either single or quartered.
    When the deceased is the last of his line a death's head may be placed over his arms instead of, or besides, the crest.
    A. OFFICIAL PERSONAGES. 1, 2. A king or reigning queen, whether married or not.--The royal arms complete, upon a ground entirely black.
    3. A queen consort.--The achievements of a queen consort should be arranged in a manner similar to that of the lady of a peer.
    4. Archbishops and bishops.--An archbishop or bishop has his paternal arms impaled after the insignia of his see, both being surmounted by a mitre. The ground must be per pale, white on the dexter side, signifying that the see never dies, and black on the sinister, denoting the decease of the bishop. Whether the bishop be married or unmarried will make no difference in the arrangement of his achievements.

The arms of the bishops of Winchester and Oxford(the one, prelate, and the other, chancellor of the order of the garter) should be encircled by the garter, and have their badges pendent. The archbishops of Armagh and Dublin bear the badge of the order of S.Patrick in the same manner. Prelates having temporal jurisdiction, (as the bishops of Durham had,) may bear a crosier and sword saltirewise behind their arms; the hilt of the sword should be uppermost.

5, 6. The dean of a cathedral or collegiate church, or the head of a college, whether married or not.--The insignia of the deanery or college impaled with the paternal coat must be placed upon a ground parted per pale white and black, as in No. 4. A dean or other clerk should by no means bear a helmet, mantle, or crest.

7. Kings of Arms.--The achievement of a king of arms should contain the insignia of his office and his paternal coat impaled together, and surmounted by his helmet, crest, mantling, and crown. Some kings of arms have encircled their shields with the collar of SS belonging to their office. The ground of this achievement must be, like the above, per pale white and black.

B. BACHELORS. All bachelors(official personages already mentioned being excepted), must have their arms complete, that is to say, with all the external ornaments belonging to their condition, upon a black ground, namely, if an esquire, with his wreath, helmet, and crest, and perhaps it may be with a mark of cadency on the arms. The arms being without any impalement, or any escutcheon of pretence, shews that the bearer was an unmarried man.

C. HUSBANDS. 1. In general.--All husbands(except those whose wives are peeresses in their own right) should have a shield with the external ornaments proper to their rank, containing their own arms on the dexter side, impaled with their wives' on the sinister side, or if the latter be heiresses theirs must be upon an escutcheon of pretence. In all cases the ground will be per pale black and white, the dexter being black to denote the husband's decease.

According to some modern heralds it is not proper for a knight to include the arms of his wife within the collar, ribbon, or other insignia of his order. In compliance with this opinion it is customary for the achievement of a knight(whether a peer or not) to be arranged thus:--Two shields are placed side by side, the first, which is encircled by the garter or other distinction of the order, contains the husband's arms alone, and the second those of the husband and wife. Both these shields are included within the external ornaments pertaining to the husband's rank. The ground is perpendicularly divided at the middle of the second shield, the dexter side black, the sinister white.
Marriages previous to the last one should not be noticed upon achievements.

    2. A husband of any rank, whose lady is a peeress in her own right.--Two escutcheons; the dexter containing the arms of the husband with the lady's upon an escutcheon of pretence ensigned with her coronet: the sinister lozenge-shaped, with the lady's alone. Each must be accompanied by all its proper external ornaments. The ground should be perpendicularly divided at the middle of the dexter escutcheon, and painted black and white.
    D. WIDOWERS. Their funeral achievements only differ from those of husbands, under similar circumstances, in the ground being totally black.
    Woman(sovereign princesses excepted) may not bear helmets, crests, or mantlings, but a peeress is entitled to her robe of estate.
    E. UNMARRIED LADIES OF ANY RANK. The arms of an unmarried lady must be placed in a lozenge, but no external ornaments of an heraldic nature should be used, unless she were a peeress. In that case her supporters, robe of estate and coronet, should be added: the ground entirely black. Shells, cherubims' heads, and knots or bows of ribbon, are often placed above the arms of women, whether spinsters, wives, or widows.
    F. WIVES. 1. In general.--Their achievements are arranged precisely as their husbands' would be, except that the helmet, crest, mantle, and motto, are omitted, and the ground painted per pale, white and black, or, to speak more accurately, black under the arms of the wife, and white under those of the husband.
    2. The wife of an archbishop or bishop.--It is customary to arrange the achievement of the wife of a prelate thus:--Two shields, the first containing the impaled arms of the see and the bishop, surmounted by a mitre, and the second, the family arms of the bishop with those of his wife, and over them a knot of ribbons or a cherub's head: the ground all white except that part under the arms of the wife(i.e. about one third per pale on the sinister side), which must be black.

G. WIDOWS. The achievements of widows differ from those of wives in two respects; the escutcheon or escutcheons are lozenge-shaped(escutcheons of pretence excepted), and the ground is entirely black. The arms should be encircled by a silver Cordon, which is the special symbol of widowhood.
As the episcopal dignity in one in which a wife cannot participate, the achievement of a prelate's widow should not differ from that of the widow of a private gentleman. The same may be said of the widow of a knight.
The place for affixing the arms above described is against the residence of the deceased; but some years ago in many churches, but now in very few, helmets and banners of some deceased knight were frequently found remaining hung up in some aisle or chapel, and these also went by the name of hatchments. The banners in St.George's, Windsor, afford the most complete example of the survival of an old custom, and here also the achievements is engraved on a plate in the stall held by each successive knight of the Order of the Garter.
In France the litre, or lisiere, hung around the churches, answers, perhaps, to the hatchment.

Armour: the grants of coats of arms having been of old frequently for services rendered in the battle-field it is but natural that portions of the armour should at times form devices emblazoned on the shields, and be used for Crests. The Helmet, for instance, besides being an appendage to the shield, became a charge, and was represented differently, besides which there were several varieties of metal head-coverings, such as the Cap of Steel, the Bassinet, the Burgonet, and the Morion, all different from the esquire's helmet, which was that usually represented. The hauberk and the habergeon, as well as the cuirass, or breastplate, are found as bearings. So also armour and brassarts for the arm, gauntlets for the hand, and greaves for the leg occur. We find a "Man in Armour," or, as he may be termed, a Chevalier, and this last is often employed as a 'supporter.' To describe all the various portions of armour, and their several names at different periods, would be beyond the limits of this work, though in its origin Heraldry, as the "Science of Armoury," is intimately associated with the subject.

Badge, or Cognizance: a mark of distinction somewhat similar to a crest, though not placed on a wreath, nor worm upon the helmet. They were rather supplemental bearings quite independent of the charge of the original arms, and were borne on the banners, ensigns, caparisons, and even on the breasts, and more frequently on the sleeves of servants and followers.
The badges borne by the Kings of England are very numerous, and are to be found on tombs, carvings, embroidery, stained glass, and paintings. The earliest which can be any way reckoned as a badge, is the Planta genista, or Broom; and of the others, of which a list is given, it must be admitted that several rest upon solitary instances, or on the authority of the writers whose names are appended.

STUART

Roses united[for England].

Fleur de lis[for France].

Thistle, leaved[for Scotland].

Harp[for Ireland].

    A white rose within a red one, barbed seeded, slipped and leaved proper, and ensigned with the imperial crown, for ENGLAND.
    A thistle, slipped and leaved proper, and ensigned with the imperial crown, for Scotland.
    A harp or, stringed argent, and a trefoil vert[i.e. shamrock] both ensigned as before, for Ireland.
    Upon a mount vert, a dragon passant, wings expanded and endorsed, gules, for Wales.

Certain OFFICERS also wore badges; thus: Crown-keepers, or yoemen of the crown, bore on their left shoulders a crown, which, under the Tudor sovereigns, surmounted a rose. Four examples have been noticed on brasses: one of them is in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries.

Blazon, (fr. Blason): a word which, whatever may be the derivation and original meaning, now signifies to describe a coat of arms in such a manner that an accurate drawing may be made from the description. In order to do so, a knowledge of the tinctures, ordinaries, charges, and points of the shield is particularly necessary.
1. In blazoning a coat of arms the first thing to be mentioned is the FIELD, whether it be of one tincture, as Gules; or parted, as Per fesse; Per pale; or Quarterly(and then add 'first,' or 'first and fourth'), &c.; or if it be of any of the patterns frequently used, as Checquy, Bendy, Fretty, &c.; or if the field be semé, or strewed with any small charges without regard to number(and they are to be named next after the field itself), always naming the tincture or tinctures.

2. The principal ORDINARY is next to be mentioned, with its peculiarities of form(if any) and tincture, as.

    Gules, a saltire argent--NEVILL, Earl of Warwick.
    Azure, a chevron or--D'AUBERNOUN, Surrey.
    Argent, a bend engrailed sable--RADCLIFFE, Sussex.
    Per saltire argent and azure, a saltire gules--GAGE, Hengrave, Suffolk.

3. The CHARGES, if any there be, between which the ordinary is placed, are next to be mentioned, as,

Gules, a chevron between three mullets of six points, pierced, or--DANVERS, Northamp.
Or, a fesse between three lions rampant gules--BANNERTON, Salop.

Of the charges placed above, below, or beside the principal bearing, whether on sinister or dexter side; those in chief are named before those in base, and those on the dexter take precedence of those on the sinister.

Argent, two bars gules, in chief three torteaux--WAKE, Linc.
Gules, three hands holding respectively a crown a key and a purse or--Arms ascribed to NIGELLUS, Bp. of Ely, 1133-69.

If there be no ordinary, the principal charge, or the charge or charges which cover the fesse-point, or are in the midst of the field, should first be named, and any charge whose position is not specially mentioned, or at least implied to be otherwise, is understood to be in the middle of the shield.

    Azure, two organ-pipes between four crosses patée or--Lord WILLIAMS of Thame.
    Sable, a lion passant guardant or, between three esquire's helmets argent--COMPTON, Northamp.
    Azure, two trumpets pileways between eight crossed crosslets 3, 3, 2, or--TRUMPINGTON.

If there be no charges of the kinds already mentioned, whatever charges there may be must be named after the field, notice being taken of their position with regard to one another, as.

    Sable, three ducal coronets in pale or--The see of BRISTOL.
    Azure, ten estoils, four three, two, one, or--ALSTON, Beds.
    Sable, fifteen bezants, five, four, three, two, and one--County of CORNWALL.

When three charges are borne two and one it is superfluous to say so, as they are always to be drawn in that position if no other be mentioned. Example:--

Consequently the arms of England, when the three lions are one beneath the other, are not rightly blazoned, unless they are said to be in pale.
It is also highly necessary to describe the position of each charge individually, whenever there is the possibility of a mistake. It would of course be quite superfluous to describe a crescent or a billet as erect, because that is their natural position, but there are many charges which may be placed several ways with equal propriety: keys, for instance, may be in pale, (palewise in pale is implied), barwise in pale, bendwise in pale, palewise in fesse, and in many other positions which it would be useless to enumerate here. The wards need not be described as turned to the dexter, because that is their ordinary position, though they are often endorsed.

4. Next come charges upon the ordinary or central charge, as. Argent, on a fesse sable, between three hawks rising proper, a leopard's face between two mullets or--STONEHOUSE, Radley, Berks.

6. The CANTON or CHIEF with all charges upon them are to be emblazoned next. It often happens that one ordinary or charge is superimposed over some other or others, and this, if so, should be named last, and expressed by the term over all.

7. Lastly come the DIFFERENCES or marks of cadency, and the baronet's badge.
In blazon repetition should be avoided: the name of a tincture should never be used twice in describing the same coat. To avoid this it is customary to say of the third, of the field, &c. If the field be all of one tincture, a charge of the same may be said to be of the field, but otherwise of the first or second. Some heralds of the seventeenth century used the word gold to avoid the repetition of or. The word silver was, though less frequently, used for argent.
If two charges consecutively named are of the same tincture, the tincture mentioned after the latter serves for both.

Cadency, marks of, otherwise called Distinctions, or Differences(fr. brisures): variations of the original arms of a family, or marks attached to them for the purpose of pointing out the several branches, and the relation in which they stand to each other and to their common ancestor.

In ancient heraldry "a plain Label" (as Sir N. H. Nicolas remarks), "most frequently azure, appear to have been the distinction of the eldest son and heir apparent;" as, for instance, at the Siege of Caerlaverock, Maurice de BERKELEY, who joined in the expedition, is described as having over his arms(gules,crusilly with a white chevron) a label azure, because his father was still alive:

And again, one bore his arms in no manner different from his father [the Earl of Lennox] except the azure label:

It also appears "that younger sons bore the label variously charged, sometimes with the whole or part of their mother's arms, or the arms of a distinguished family from which they were descended; that more distant branches changed the colours, or charges, of the coat; placed a bend over it; surrounded it with a bordure, or assumed a canton, plain or charged."

Although the charge of tinctures, and the addition, removal, or alteration of charges are very frequently marks of cadency, it must not be supposed that all families of the same name, and between whose arms there is some resemblance, are descended from the same ancestors, for the arms of ancient families have often been very unjustly granted with slight alteration to persons whose relation to such families consisted only in similarity of name.

The differences now in use may be divided into two classes; those used by the royal family, and those which should be borne by all others. The sons and daughters of the sovereign all bear labels of three points argent. That of the Prince of Wales is plain, but those of the other princes and princesses are charged with crosses, fleur-de-lis, hearts, or other figures for the sake of distinction. Princes and princesses, being the sons and daughters of the above, are distinguished by labels of five points charged in the same manner. All such differences should be borne on the arms, crest, and supporters.

The differences now in use for all families except that of the sovereign may be partially traced to the time of Edward III.

Some heralds pretend that the seventh son was marked by a rose, the eighth by a cross moline, and ninth by eightfoil; but this theory does not seem to be borne out in practice.

This first son of the first son of the first house bears a label upon a label(or more agreeably to ancient custom a label of five points). The second a label charged with a crescent, and so on for all other sons of this branch.

And so on for the rest, but it is not usual to bear more than double differences. There are no differences for sisters(except in the royal family), as they are all equal, but they should bear the differences which pertain to their fathers.
Crescents, mullets, &c., used as differences, should be drawn smaller than usual, to distinguish them from ordinary charges. They may be placed upon any part of the arms which is most convenient. There does not appear to be any rule respecting their tinctures.

Coronet/Crown, (fr. couronne): this word occurring in blazon without any addition usually implies a ducal coronet without the cap. When blazoned proper it signifies that it is of gold.

Or, a crown sable garnished gold--BELLINGHAM.
Sable, three crowns or--LEE, co. York.

Crown Royal of England, sometimes also called an Imperial crown. The forms of the crown worn by the successive kings of England very considerably, and will be found in architectural illustrations of the sculptured heads of kings from monuments and other stone carvings in churches[see examples in Rickman's Gothic Architecture, sixth and seventh Editions]; but in this place they must be considered only in their connection with armorial bearings. The earliest instance of the royal arms being ensigned with a crown is in the case of those of Henry VI. At this time the crown had attained its present form, with the exception of the number of arches. The arms of Edward IV. are surmounted by the rim of the crown only, adorned with crosses pattee and fleur-de-lis. The crown of Richard III. shews five semi-arches, that of Henry VII. shews but four, and his successor's only three, although seldom met with until about the time of James II., before which five semi-arches were generally shewn. Several instances of Royal crowns are found on coats of arms.

The crown of Spain, as used by King Philip II., consort of Queen Mary of England, was a circle of gold jewelled, supporting eight strawberry-leaves. Four ogee arches, pearled, were sometimes added, meeting under a mound and cross pattée. No cap.
The Crown of Scotland, as borne by James VI. before his succession to the throne of England, exactly resembled the imperial crown of Great Britain. It is represented in the Crest of Scotland(q.v.). This differs essentially from the actual crown of Scotland, discovered in Edinburgh Castle in 1817.

The Crown of Hanover. The electorate of Hanover having been constituted a kingdom, the bonnet which had hitherto been placed over the insignia of that state was exchanged for a crown, in pursuance of a royal proclamation dated June 8, 1816.

The Crown of Charlemagne. This crown having been borne by five kings of England as Arch-treasurers of the Holy Roman Empire, claims a place in the armory of Great Britain. Its form is generally depicted as in the margin.

The crown of a king of arms in of silver gilt, and consists of a circle inscribed with the words 'miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam' (i.e. Ps. li. 1), supporting sixteen oak-leaves, each alternate leaf being somewhat higher than the rest. Nine only of these leaves are shewn in drawing, two of them being in profile. The cap is of crimson satin, turned up with ermine, and surmounted by a tassle of gold. The crowns of kings of arms formerly resembled that of the sovereign, or sometimes ducal coronets.

Antique Crown, Eastern crown, as it is sometimes called, is supposed to represent the crown anciently worn by Oriental princes, as appears by their coins. The unicorn supporting the royal arms is gorged with this kind of crown, but it probably is here in fact only the rim of the crown royal.

    Argent, a bar wavy and a demi-otter issuant sable, armed, langued, and crowned with an antique crown, gules--MELDRUM.
    Argent, a lion rampant gules, crowned with an antique crown or--ROCHE, Ireland, also SLOAN.
    Ermine, on a chief engrailed sable three antique crowns or--EARLE, Bp. of Worcester, 1662; afterwards of Salisbury, 1663-65.
    Argent, a lion rampant, tail nowed gules, gorged with an Eastern coronet or, in chief three falcons proper--BEWES, Cornwall.
    Gules, a demi-Virgin couped below the shoulders, issuing from clouds all proper vested or, crowned with an eastern crown of the last, her hair dishevelled and wreathed round the temples with roses of the second, all within an orle of clouds proper--MERCERS' Company[inc. 1394, arms confirmed 1634].

Imperial crown: is properly the crown peculiar to the German emperor, which forms part of the crest of STOKES of Cambridgeshire, though, as already said, in English arms the crown royal of these realms is often so called.

Or, an imperial crown gules--ROBINSON, Hertford.
Gules, an imperial crown supported by a sword in pale proper hilted and pommelled within a double tressure-flory counter-flory--SETON, Earl of Winton, 1306-29.

Mural Crown: formed of battlements masoned. Fancifully said to have been given by the Romans to the soldier who first ascended the walls of a besieged fortress.

    Or, a mural crown gules, between two barrulets azure and three wolf's heads erased sable--SEALE.
    Erminois, on a pile embattled azure a mural crown between two caltraps in pale or--WALKER, Herts.
    Argent, three griffins passant in pale azure murally gorged of the first, within a bordure sable bezanty--WILLS.
    Gules, three mural coronets argent masoned sable--JOURDAN.

5. That of DUKES is a circle of gold richly chased, and having upon its upper edge eight strawberry-leaves; only five are shewn in the drawing, two of them being in profile. The cap is of crimson velvet lined with white taffeta and turned up with ermine. At the top is a gold tassel. A coronet without the cap, and shewing but three leaves, is called a Ducal Coronet, and frequently a Ducal crown.

6. That of the MARQUIS is a rim of gold richly chased, supporting four strawberry-leaves and as many large pearls(or rather balls of silver) upon short points. The cap as before, though in heraldic drawings it is usually omitted.

7. That of the EARL. A rim of gold richly chased, on the upper edge of which are eight strawberry-leaves, and the same number of pearls set upon high points, so that it is readily distinguished from the coronet of the marquis. The cap, if shewn, the same as the first.

8. A Viscount Coronet is a chased circle of gold supporting twelve, fourteen, or, as some say, sixteen pearls, but usually only seven visible. The cap resembles those of the other coronets. This coronet was appointed by King James I.

9. A Baron's Coronet is a plain circle of gold having six large pearls upon it, four which are seen in a drawing. The cap as before. This coronet was assigned to barons on their petition to King Charles II., soon after his restoration. Before that period they wore caps of crimson velvet turned up with ermine, and at a still earlier period, scarlet caps turned up with white fur.

Crowned, (fr. couronné) Many cases of beasts, especially the lion, and sometimes birds, especially the eagle, being crowned. A ducal coronet is implied unless some other be expressly mentioned, but birds and beasts are sometimes described as crowned with a diadem(fr. diademmé), i.e. a plain fillet of metal. Also loins, dogs, and other animals are frequently gorged with a crown.

Escroll, or Scroll: a long strip of parchment bearing the motto. It is for the most part placed below the arms, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest. Scrolls are occasionally found in both these positions.
Escroll occur rarely as charges.

Fire: flames of fire(fr. flammes) are not at all a rare device in coats of arms, though not observed to occur in arms before the sixteenth century; sometimes by themselves, but more frequently in connection with other charges, e.g. Alter, Beacon, Bush, Fireball, Firebrand, &c., when the term flammant, or flaming, is used. When emblazoned the flames may be represented by gules and or alternating.

    Or, on a fesse dancette, between three flames of fire gules, a lamb couchant, between two estoiles argent--Ascribed to HOOPER, Bp. of Gloucester, 1550-54; also of Worcester, 1552-53.
    Azure, a book open between three flames of fire proper, within a bordure argent, charged with four mullets and so many crosses crosslets as the first--SMITH, Edinburgh.
    Ermine, two flames in saltire gules--LEIGHT, Hants.
    Azure, flames of fire proper--BRANDER, Hants.
    Argent, a chevron voided azure between three(another two) flames of fire proper--WELLS, co. Monmouth.
    Argent, a bend between three crescent flammant proper--PADDON, Hants[granted 1590].
    Argent, three hearts flammant gules--HEART, Scotland.
    Argent, two billets raguled and trunked placed saltirewise, the sinister surmounted of the dexter azure, their tops flaming proper--SHURSTABLE.

Gules, (fr. gueules): the heraldic name of the tincture red. The term is probably derived from the Arabic gule, a red rose, just as the azure was derived from a word in the same language, signifying a blue stone. The word was, not doubt, introduced by the Crusaders. Heralds have, however, guessed it to be derived from the Latin gula, which in old French is found as gueule, i.e. the "red throat of an animal." Others, again, have tried to find the origin in the Hebrew word gulade, which signifies red cloth. Gules is denoted in engravings by numerous perpendicular lines. Heralds was blazoned by planets and jewels called it Mars, and Ruby.

The name variously spelt goules, goulez, goulz, gowlys, occurs frequently in ancient rolls of arms, as will have been observed by the examples given throughout the Glossary.
In the Siege of Carlaverock, as has been noticed under Colour, the terms both rouge and vermeile are poetically used, and to these may be added rougette.

Helmet, (fr. casque, old fr. heaume, but applied to a close helmet): the covering for protection of the head in warfare has varied in form from the earliest ages onwards, but an account of the various shapes belongs to the history of armour.
In heraldry the Helmet assumed an important place as an appendage to the shield, for on this was fixed the crest(q.v.). Originally there seems to have been no special distinction as regards the forms of the helmet; they simply followed the customary shape of the period, and were drawn sideways; but in Elizabeth's reign it would appear that certain kinds of helmets were assigned to different degrees of nobility.

I. The sovereign's was to be of burnished gold, affronty, i.e. full-faced, with six bars, or grilles, and lined with crimson.

II. The helmets of dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons, were to be composed of silver or polished steel, with five gold bars, and lined with crimson. According to some authorities they should be placed neither affronty nor in profile, but between those positions; but there seem to be conflicting directions, and the practice varied.

III. Baronets' and knights' helmets were to be affronty and open, but supplied with a visor. They are supposed to be formed of steel ornamented with gilding, and usually lined with crimson.

    IV. The helmets of esquires and private gentlemen were to be placed in profile, with the visor or beaver closed; to be of steel, but enriched with gold. These are drawn after various patterns however, the only point being that the visor should be closed, whence they are termed close helmet.
    The French timbre includes the helmet and all that belongs to it. For the appurtenances it is supposed we are indebted to the tournaments, and they consist of the crest, the wreath, the supporters, the mantle, ribbons or feathers, and the scroll.
    It should be added that helmets are seldom, if ever, found over the shields of bishops(except over that of the Bishop of Durham, to represent his temporal dignity), the mitre taking its place; or over that of women, except in the case of a sovereign. More than one helmet may be placed over the same shield, but it is rare.
   Helmets, however, are also occasionally borne as charges, and generally the esquire's or close helmet is intended. In blazoning, however, there is frequently a reference to the visor(fr. viziere, or garde vizure), or beaver(old fr. beauvoir); the modern fr. mezail is also used. When this is up it is supposed to be a knight's helmet, when down an esquire's.
    The portion which rests upon the shoulders, and protects the neck, is termed the gorged.
    The helmet has sometimes plumes of feathers (q.v.).

Label, (fr. lambel, in old fr. lambell, labell, and labeu): a charge generally considered to be a temporary mark of cadency, q.v. In the ordinary system of differences a label of three points(which has also been termed a file with three labels) is the distinction of the eldest son during the lifetime of his father. In the oldest rolls of arms the labels are all of five points; but labels of three points were at an early period used interchangeably. The theories respecting two extra points being borne to mark the surviving generations will not hold.
Labels have been supposed by some to represent the collar and cape of a garment, with several pendent labels of tongues, which were worn hanging from the back part of the neck, over the surcoat or tabard.

   King EDWARD I. before his accession differenced his arms with a label azure, sometimes of five points, and sometimes(even on the same seal) of three points.
    EDMUND Plantagenet, called Crouchback, earl of Lancaster, the second son of Henry III., bore England with a label, sometimes(as his seal testifies) of three points, and at other times of five points, as upon his monument at Westminster. In both instances each points is charged with three fleurs-de-lis.
    The earliest instances on record of the use of the label in England appear to be following:--

England, with a label of five points azure--Geoffery PLANTAGENET, earl of Anjou, Poictiers, Britanny, and Richmond, fourth son of King Henry II., borne 1159, and died 1186.

Besides being used as mere temporary marks of cadency, labels are also employed as permanent distinctions, this is to say, they are borne by every member of some particular branches of certain families, just as any other charge is borne.

The points were first straight, then pattée, and at last labels were formed as they generally are at the present day, without any connection with the sides of the shield, the points dovetailed.
In latter times the shape of the label was sometimes varied, nor was it confined to three or five points(or drops, as they are sometimes irregularly called). The lables were terminated also in other charges, e.g. bells. And one of three points, each formed as a plain cross and charged with five escallops argent, was borne by John de FOIX, Earl of Kendal, 1449.

Motto: a word or sentence upon a scroll, generally placed below the shield, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest. The family motto should never be inscribed(as it too often is) upon a garter or circle, nor should it accompany the arms of any woman except the sovereign. In the case of William of WYKEHAM'S arms here given it will be seen the garter is reserved for the motto of the 'order.' His personal motto, adopted by his two colleges, is manners makyth man; and that it always found beneath. Bishops, as a rule, do not use mottoes.
Many ancient mottoes were war-cries.

The present royal motto, Dieu et mon Droit, was certainly used as early as the reign of Henry VI. It was probably a war-cry long before, as King Richard I. is recorded to have said, "Not we, but God and our right have vanquished France at Gisors." The Cri de Guerre of the Kings of France was Mon joye Saint Denis. Scottish heralds term such war-cries Slogans or Sloghorns.

Or, (fr. from Latin aurum): the chief of the tinctures, i.e. gold. It is called Sol by those who blazon by the sun and planets, Topaz(or Carbuncle) by those who have fancifully taken the names of precious stones. Engravers represent it by an indefinite number of small points. The term Gold is not unfrequently used by heralds to avoid repetition, and the French word Jaune, i.e. yellow, is met with in old heraldic poetry. For instance, at the Siege of Carlaverock instead of Or, a lion azure, we find:--

Proper, (fr. au naturel): when acharge is borne of its natural colour it is said to be proper; the word is sometimes used also as to shape, when there is a conventional or heraldic form of the charge, and when the natural form has to be adopted. It is not good blazon to say a rose proper in regard to tincture, because some roses are red and others white, and the same remark will apply to any object whose colour varies at different times, or in different examples.

The use of the term, however, often involves practically a disregard of the heraldic rules as to tincture. It is used to denote colours, and mixture of colours, and shading, and the like, quite unknown in all early coats of arms. A glance at the examples given throughout the present Glossary will shew how freely the term is used.

Quartered: is the more correct term to be use when an escutcheon is divided the four or more squares for the reception of different coats of arms; the term quarterly being generally used when the quarters belong to the same coat of arms, though the phrase 'France' and 'England' quarterly is often found.

Quartered: 1 and 4; azure, a bend between six cross crosslets fitchée or, DRAYTON; 2 and 3, ermine, two bars gules, in chief a demi-lion issuant of the last--SEGRAVE.
Quartered first and fourth or; a lion rampant azure[being the ancient arms of the Duke of BRABANT and LOUVAIN]; second and third azure five fusils joined in fesse[for PERCY]--PERCY, Earl of Northumberland, temp. HEN. IV.

Quarterly, (fr. ecartelé): when a coat of arms is divided into four parts, which is usually party per cross(rarely per saltire). The term quarterly is found in ancient rolls, and the lines of partition are subject to many of the variations to which ordinaries are subject.

The divisions are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, beginning at the dexter chief, and most frequently Nos. 1 and 4 are alike, as also Nos. 2 and 3; and when the quarer is charged its number must be always specified.

Shield, (Anglo-Sax. Scyld): from the earliest times no doubt the shield borne on the arm to protect the bearer in battle was ornamented with various devices, one object of which was that the bearer should be recognised by his friends in the midst of the fight; and to the devices on these shields there can be no question armorial bearing chiefly owe their origin. The fact that the devices were afterwards pourtrayed on the mantles and on the surcoats, on the trappings of the horses, or on flags and pennons, does not militate against this origin, since such were later developments. The crest on the helmet, however, may perhaps be considered in theory to have as early an origin as the device on the shield, but throughout the middle ages it was the device on the shield which marked the man, and afterwards his family, far more than the crest.

From the much more frequent occurrence on the earlier arms of the simpler devices, such as the fesse, the bend, the chevron, &c., it may reasonably be presumed that these had their origin in the structure of the shield itself, i.e. from the bars of wood, or more probably of metal, which passed athwart the shield to strengthen it. The example so frequently referred to as an early device, namely, the escarboucle, (q.v.), is essentially such as a thirteenth-century armourer would adopt to strengthen woodwork, and a similar device is not unfrequently found on doors of churches. It was not originally deemed a charge but merely an ornament, like diapering was. Cf. old fr. bouclier, and English synonym buckler.

The shield, in its practical sense, was pourtrayed in sculpture and in stained glass throughout the middle ages for the purpose of containing the device; and though the outline was frequently modified--particularly in later years--to harmonize with the architectural details surrounding it, the shield form, ending in a point, was nearly always retained. The various modifications of the outline, as found carved on monuments, or engraved on brasses, or painted in glass of windows, or outlined on the seals, &c., at different periods is an interesting study, but beyond the limits of a glossary. In some cases, though rarely in England, a circle is adopted on Seals instead of a shield, but there is no evidence that this was due to anything but the fancy of the artist, since ecclesiastics and laymen, warriors, and religious or municipal communities, have sometimes the shield, sometimes the circle.

    Women of all ranks(the sovereign alone excepted) are now supposed to bear their arms or lozenge-shaped figures rather than on shields(see Achievements), but formerly all ladies of rank of bore shields upon their seals.
    The shield is, for convenience sake, partitioned our into certain divisions, usually reckoned as nine in number, and called Points, q.v.
    Shields in more rare instances are themselves borne as armorial bearings, usually blazoned as Escutcheons.

Tincture, (fr. email, pl. emaux): the metals, colours, and furs used in armoury are called tincture.

As a general rule, a charge of metal should never be placed upon a metal field, nor a coloured charge upon a coloured field, but to this there are some exceptions. First, what the French call armes pour enquerir, or armes à enquerre, as the insignia of the kingdom of JERUSALEM(See cross, §31), where gold appears on silver; and in other cases where colour appears on colour, e.g.

Secondly, the rule dose not extend to chiefs, cantons, and bordures, which, however, are in such cases by some heralds represented as cousu, i.e. giving the idea of the charge being sewed to, and not laid upon, the field. Marks of cadency also, such as lables, bendlets, and batons are exempt from the rule.
The third exception is of a party-coloured field(as quarterly, gyronny, barry, checquy, vair, &c.), which may receive a charge either of metal or colour indifferently, and vice versa.

    Barry of ten argent and azure, a lion rampant gules--STRATFORD, Gloucester.
    Barry of ten or and gules, a lion rampant argent--STRATFORD, Coventry.
    Per pale azure and gules, an oak-tree proper supported on the sinister side by a lion rampant argent--THOMAS, co. Hereford.

The fourth is, when charges are borne of their natural colour, not being one of the recognised tinctures of heraldry. (See Colours.) Such charges are nevertheless generally placed upon a field of a contrasted tincture.

The fifth and last exception, and the most frequent case to which this rule does not extend, is when animals are armed, attired, unguled, crowned, or chained of a tincture different from that of their bodies.
The nine tinctures are as follows, though numbers 8 and 9 are not so clearly recognised as the seven others. See also Colours and Proper.

	1. Or   .  .  .  . Gold   .  .  .  . Sun .  .  .  . Topaz.

	2. Argent  .  .  .  . Silver .  .  .  . Moon   .  .  .  . Pearl.

	3. Gules   .  .  .  . Red    .  .  .  . Mars   .  .  .  . Ruby.

	4. Azure   .  .  .  . Blue   .  .  .  . Jupiter   .  .  .  . Sapphire.

	5. Sable   .  .  .  . Black  .  .  .  . Saturn .  .  .  . Diamond.

	6. Vert	 .  .  .  . Green  .  .  .  . Venus  .  .  .  . Emerald.

	7. Purpure    .   .  . Purple  .  .  .  . Mercury   .  .  .  . Amethyst.

	8. Tenné  .  .   . Tenny  .  .  .  . Dragon's Head .  .  . Hyacinth.

	9. Sanguine   .  . Blood colour    . Dragon's Tail .  .  . Sardonix.

The furs are in a sense tinctures, and to a certain extenfollow the rule of the others; that is to say, Ermine is considered as argent, and Ermines as sable, so far as the tinctures of the superimposed charges are concerned.

The mode of representation of the tincture by lines was an invention which must be attributed to Silvester Petra-Sancta, an Italian Jesuit, whose book, entitled Tessarœ Gentilitiœ, printed at Rome in 1638(or rather his earlier book, De Symbolis heroicis, libri ix., 1634), seems to have been the first work in which the system was used. The claim of Marie Vulson de la Colombiere will not hold, as his work did not appear till 1639.
Some whimsical heralds have called the tinctures borne by kings by the names of Planets and other heavenly bodies, as given above; and this method so far made way that in some few heraldic MSS. the tincture are expressed in the tricking by the astronomical marks denoting the planets.

Other heraldic writers again have given to the tinctures of the arms of peers the names of precious stones, also shewn above, but this practice is now looked upon as absurd, and calculated to bring the science into ridicule. Sir John FERNE, in his Blazon of Gentry issued in 1586, enumerates fourteen different methods of blazon as follows:--1. By colours; 2. By planets; 3. By precious stones; 4. By virtues; 5. By celestial signs; 6. By the months of the year; 7. By the days of the week; 8. By the ages of man; 9. By flowers; 10. By the elements; 11. By the seasons of the year; 12. By the complexions of man; 13. By numbers; 14. By metals. Such fanciful arrangements, however, tend to degrade the study of heraldry into a mere amusement. Happily they were never much used.

Tressure and Orle

There is some confusion among British writers as to the nature of a tressure. This is Woodward's opinion: "a plain tressure is a diminutive of the orle, and is depicted half its thickness". Whether the tressure is an orle, a diminutive of the orle, or a diminutive of the bordure is a just a matter of classification.

Sometimes, the term tressure is used to mean a double orle, or an orle voided in the middle (thus Palliot, a French 17th c. heraldist, who also calls it essonier; Fox-Davies does as well). Finally, especially in Scotland, a tressure is often understood to be a double orle flory counterflory. This seems to be wholly a consequence of the importance in Scots heraldry of the Royal Tressure. It seems that most writers avoid ambiguity and understand the tressure to be single and unmodified, unless specified otherwise; in other words, the tressure, on its own, is the same as an orle.

The orle was initially blazoned as a "false escutcheon" or a voided escutcheon in early blazon. It is not an uncommon ordinary, but there is usually only one. It is often modified (engrailed, indented, etc) and sometimes charged. Here are some examples:

Two orles, especially if they are flory or flory-counterflory, have come to be called either a tressure or a double tressure. But in English blazon (as in French blazon) one finds single tressures as well:

The tressure (double, flory-counterflory) is "almost peculiar to Scotland" in Woodward's terms. So much so that it is now seen as a mark of kinship with the Scottish royal family or an augmentation of honour. No one knows where the royal tressure originally comes from, but it appears early on, on seals of Alexander III (1249-86).

The Royal Tressure as it is called has now become the prerogative of the royal family and families that are descended from it in female line. Yet it is also used as an augmentation of honour. Woodward states: "As early as the middle of the fourteenth century we find several families of mark bearing the tressure without having any connection with the Royal House..." (Flemings of Biggar, William Livingston, House of Seton) "James V in 1542 granted a warrant to Lyon to surround the arms of John Scot, of Thirlstane, with the royal Tressure, in respect of his ready services at Soutra Edge with three score and ten lances on horseback, when other nobles refused to follow their sovereign." It has been at least twice granted as an augmentation to the arms of foreigners: James V to Nicolas Canivet of Dieppe in 1529, and James VI to Sir Jacob van Eiden, a Dutchman. Innes of Learney also cites Dundas of Fingask (1769) and Wingate (1930) as recipients of the tressure for distinguished services.

Tressure, (old fr. tressour, fr. trecheur): a subordinary, considered by some as a diminutive of the orle. It may be single or double(and some say even triple), but is mostly borne double, and fleury-counterfleury, as in the royal arms of Scotland, q.v., whence the charge is sometimes called 'the royal tressure.' When impaled, it is said to follow the rule of the bordure, and not to be continued on the side of the impalement, but several exceptions may be found. When an ordinary is described as within a tressure it should extend only to the inner side of the tressure.

Vert, (fr. sinople): green; absurdly called Venus by those who adopt planets, and Emerald by those who adopt the name precious stones instead of the true name of the. It is expressed in engravings by line in bend. The French are said to have called it Sinople, from a town in the Levant(probably Sinope in Asia Minor) from which were brought the best materials for dyeing green, or silks and stuffs of a brilliant green colour, but the term does not occur before the fifteenth century. In the ancient rolls vert seems to be used occasionally(e.g. in the Roll of Carlaverock spelt verde). The term prasin has also been fancifully used, from the Greek

, a leek.

Wreath, (fr. tortil, also bourrelet): the wreath, technically speaking, is the twisted band composed of two strips of gold or silver lace and silk by which the crest is joined to the helmet; though some wreaths of the fifteenth century were of four tinctures. It is sometimes, but improperly, called a roll, at others a torse. It was, perhaps, copied by the crusaders from the wreathed turbans of the Saracens. The first noticed is that of Sir John de Harsich, 1384.

Wreaths should always shew an equal number of divisions(now restricted to six), which are usually tinctured with the principal metal and colour of the arms alternately. Every Crest is understood to be placed upon a wreath, unless a chapeau or some coronet be expressly mentioned. But wreaths also sometimes occur as charges; e.g. we find a circular wreath. This is meant for the same object as the above, but viewed from a different point. Animals also are sometimes represented with wreaths on their heads.

Although the wreath proper is composed of one or more coloured stuffs, the Chaplets, q.v. of oak, laurel, and garlands of flowers, &c., are frequently blazoned as wreaths.

Wyvern/Cockatrice: amongst the monsters with wings the Cockatrice and the Wyvern(Sax. wivere, a serpent) are frequently represented in heraldry. The differ from the groups of Griffins and Dragons, inasmuch as they have only two legs, and the hinder part of the body ends in a large and long tail. The Cockatrice is represented as having the head of a cock, but the tongue extended and barbed. Otherwise it is very similar to the wyvern, the essential difference being that the wyvern has the head of a serpent, but with the tongue extended and barbed. The frequency of such devices was due, no doubt, to the tales of travellers brought from the East, which had a special charm for many a designer of arms.

The Cockatrice, perhaps, when correctly drawn, should have the legs and feet of a cock-the Wyvern those of an eagle, but these details are seldom observed in representation.

    [The figure of the Wyvern here given in the margin is from one of the supporters of the arms of KENNEDY, co. Ayr.]
    Cockatrices also occur in the arms of the families of DRAKE; BRENT, Co. Kent; BOOTH; BOGAN, Devon; BROWN, Norfolk; JONES; Henry SEYNES, Newark.
    Wyverns are borne by TAME, Oxford; DRAPER, Oxford, 1613; BRENT, Oxford, 1613; MACBEATH, Scotland; DE WINTON, Gloucester.

Similar to the Cockatrice is the Basilisk, and it is usually held to be synonymous with it, but it is said in books of heraldry to have an additional head, like that of a dragon, at the end of the tail, and hence the Basilisk is sometimes termed an Amphisian Cockatrice. Similar also is the Amphistere, which is found frequently in French coats of arms, and is described as a winged serpent with dragons' feet, of which the tail ends in another serpent, or in more than one serpent; in the latter case it is said to be gringolé of so many serpents. TheHydra(fr. hydre) also occurs in heraldic designs, but though compared with the dragon it is more like the wyvern, having only two legs, even if it has those. The peculiarity is that it partakes somewhat of its mythological prototype, inasmuch as it has seven heads-though in one case the blazoning especially reduces the number to five.