The Handbook to English Heraldry

INTRODUCTORY-- Early Popularity of Heraldry in England-- Origin of English Heraldry; Definition; Characteristics; Development; Early Uses; Not connected with Earlier Systems-- A...

CADENCY:-- Marks of Cadency are temporary, or permanent: the Label: the Bordure: the Bendlet, Barrulet, and Canton: Change of Tincture: Secondary Charges: Single Small Charges:...

THE ROYAL HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND:-- Shields of Arms of the Reigning Sovereigns of England, of Scotland, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: Crests: Sup...

ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD AND INSIGNIA OF HONOUR:-- Feudal Knighthood-- Orders of Knighthood: Knights of St. John: Knights Templars: the Order of the Garter; of the Thistle; of St. P...

PEERAGE DIGNITIES:-- The Dignity of Earl-- Of Baron-- The Parliament of 1295-- Landed Qualifications-- Creation of the Title Duke of Cornwall-- The Title of Marquis-- The Premie...

The sentiment unquestionably was his own which Sir Walter Scott made delightful Di Vernon express when, with indignant surprise, she asked Frank Osbaldistone of what his father...

At the head of the earliest existing authorities in English Heraldry are SEALS. To the fortunate circumstance of the legal importance attached to them we are indebted for the pr...

English Heraldry, as it exists amongst us in our own times, is the very same Heraldry that flourished under the kindly influences of the greatest of the Plantagenets, though per...

_Planets_, and employed to emblazon the insignia of Sovereign Princes; and the other set, derived from the names of _Jewels_, was applied to the arms of Nobles. In the midst of...

THE LANGUAGE OF HERALDRY.--The original language of English Heraldry was the Norman-French, which may also be designated Anglo-Norman, habitually spoken at the Court of England...

In English Heraldry the TINCTURES comprise _Two Metals_, _Five Colours_, and _Eight Furs_. They are symbolised or indicated by dots and lines--a very convenient system, said to...

THE ORDINARIES.--The simple Charges of early Heraldry, which always have been held in the highest esteem and which are most familiar, are:--The _Chief_, the _Fesse_, the _Bar_,...

THE SUBORDINARIES. This title has been assigned, but without any decisive authority, to another group of devices, second in rank to the Ordinaries. Very few writers agree as to...

"The Formes of pure celestiall bodies mixt with grosse terrestrials; earthly animals with watery; sauage beasts with tame; fowles of prey with home-bred; these again with riuer...

Of the various Artificial Figures and Devices that Heralds have charged upon Shields of Arms, it will be unnecessary for me to give detailed descriptions, except when either the...

The regal dignity of the LION amongst the creatures that are quadrupeds, like himself, would naturally secure for him a position of corresponding eminence in Heraldry. From the...

In this Glossary, which obviously must be as concise as possible, I shall include no word that is ordinarily well understood, unless some special signification should be attache...

_Pale._ One of the Ordinaries: No. 87. _Pale-wise_, or _In Pale_. Disposed after the manner of a Pale--that is, set vertically, or arranged vertically one above another, as are...

_Sun._ When represented shining and surrounded with rays, he has a representation of a human face upon his disc, and is blazoned "_In splendour_." _Sunbeams_, or _Rays_, are bor...

_Thistle._ The national Badge of SCOTLAND, represented after its national aspect, and tinctured _proper_. JAMES I. of Great Britain, to symbolise the union of the two realms of...

Upon this concise definition, Guillim, in another part of his work, adds the following comment:--"_Marshalling_ is an orderly disposing of sundry Coat Armours pertaining to dist...

_Marks of Cadency are temporary or permanent-- The Label-- The Bordure-- The Bendlet, Barrulet, and Canton-- Change of Tincture-- Secondary Charges-- Single Small Charges-- Diff...

"Differencing, which comprises in truth the growth and ramification of Coat-Armour, and the whole system of its early development, has been strangely lost sight of in the numero...

The idea of a CREST, of some accessory specially designed to form its crowning adornment, appears inseparable from the existence and use of a Helm. The Warriors and Warrior Divi...

A BADGE, like a Coat of Arms, is an armorial ensign that is complete in itself, and possesses a definite signification of its own. In use with a decided heraldic significance lo...

The _Ostrich Feather Badge_. The popular tradition, that the famous Badge of the Ostrich Feathers was won from the blind KING OF BOHEMIA at Cressi by the BLACK PRINCE, and by hi...

A SUPPORTER is a figure, sometimes of an angel, frequently of a human being, but more generally of some animal, bird, or imaginary creature, so placed in connection with a Shiel...

Admirably adapted for all purposes of heraldic display, rich in glowing colours, and peculiarly graceful in their free movement in the wind, FLAGS are inseparably associated wit...

_Shields of Arms of the Reigning Sovereigns of England; of Scotland; of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland-- Crests-- Supporters-- Mottoes-- Crowns-- Banners-- Armo...

_Feudal Knighthood-- Orders of Knighthood: Knights of St. John; Knights Templars; The Order of the Garter; of the Thistle; of St. Patrick; of the Bath; of St. Michael and St. Ge...

When JAMES I. succeeded to the Crown of England while he was actually the King regnant of Scotland, and accordingly became Sovereign of the two Realms, he found it necessary to...

I. The HERALDS OF ENGLAND, who before had been attached to the Household either of the Sovereign or of some Personage of exalted rank, were incorporated as a Fraternity by RICHA...

"The Spandrels over the Wall-arcading are exquisitely beautiful... Those in the western arm contained Shields of a large number of the great men of the day ... the few which rem...

_The Dignity of Earl-- Of Baron-- The Parliament of 1295-- Landed Qualifications-- Creation of the Title Duke of Cornwall-- The Title of Marquis-- The Premier Baron of England--...