International Heraldry - Examples

Coat of Arms of John de Vaux
Checky Argent and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of John de Beauchamp
Vair
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Robert de Harrington
Sable fretty Argent
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Alixandre Giffard
Argent semy of torteaux
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Walter de Grancourt
Sable semy of fleurs de lis or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of William de Coleville
Or billetty Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Robert de Escales
Gules semy of escallops Argent
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Thomas le FizThomas
Lozengy Argent and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey
Checky or and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Robert de Ward
Vairy Argent and Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of John Maltravers
Sablefretty or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Oliver de Punchardun
Sable semy of plates
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of William de Mortimer
Or semy de lis Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Piers de Coudray
Gules billetty Or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Hugh de Escot
Sable semy of escallops Or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Thomas de Werblintone
Lozengyor and azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Huberd de Moletone
Checkyor and gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Richard de Culworth
Vairy Argent and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Richard de Mandeville
Azure fretty or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Roger la Zouche
Gules bezanty
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of French arms before 1376
(France ancienne)
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

Coat of Arms of John de Roseles
Argent semy of cinquefoils Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Walter de Coleville
Or afess Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Richard de Solers
Or a fess Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Paul de Cardiff
Azure a fess or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Vernon, baron of Shubbroc, bulgo Shipbroke
Arms: Or, a fesse Azure.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Coat of Arms of Nicholas Darcy
Sable a fess Or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Coat of Arms of Arms of Vavassor
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

Coat of Arms of Oliver de Dinant
Gules a fess indented Ermine
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of the town of Beauvais, France

Gules, a pale Argent

The coat of arms of New Zealand

Arms: Quarterly, Azure and Gules on a Pale Argent three Lymphads Sable. In the first four Mullets in cross of the last each surmounted by a Mullet of the second, in the second a Fleece; in the third a Garb, and in the last two Mining Hammers in Saltire, all Or.

The coat of Arms of James McDonald of Goxhill

Vert a pale Ermine

The coat of arms of the town of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Or on a pale Gules three Chevrons Argent

The coat of arms of Sir Humphrey Nicholson

Ermine on a pale Sable three martlets Argent.

The coat of arms of Dodge of Stockport:

Barry of six Or and Sable, on a pale Gules a woman’s dug distilling drops of milk Argent.

The Visitations of Chester of 1613

(In this rendering, the breast dropping milk got changed to an eye dropping golden tears)

The coat of arms of Piers de Champagne
Argent a chief Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of John de Lisours
Or a chief Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of William de Stoke
Vair a chief Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of William de Say
Quarterly or and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Herbert de Boyvill
Quarterly or and Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coatof arms of William de Burgh
Quarterly or and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Thomas de Berkeley
Gules a chevron Argent
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Robert de Willoughby
Argent a chevron Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Joan de Abernun
Azure a chevron Or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Benet de Blakenham
Sable two bars Or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Thomas de Multon
Argent three bars Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The Armsof Hylton
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

The coat of arms of William de Harcourt
Or two bars Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Blackleigh of Leland, co Lancs., and Maxfield.
Arms: Sable, two bars Or

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

The coat of arms of William de Fauconberge
Argent two bars indented Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Haughton of Haughton
Arms: Sable, three bars Argent.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

The Arms of Cameron Of Lochiel
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

The coat of arms of William le Blount
Barry wavy of eight or and Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Henry de Pembridge
Barry of eightor and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Philip Bassett
Barry nebuly of six or and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Lawrence Basset
Barry wavy of eight Argent and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Robert de Stuteville
Barry of twelve Argent and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of John de Grey
Barry of six Argent and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of H Basset
Barry wavy of eight Argent and Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Brian FitzAlan
Barry of twelve or and Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Roger Lovedai
Barry dancetty ofsix or and sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Piers de Montfort
Bendy of eight or and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Robert de Grelley
Gules three bendlets or
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Bentley - bendlets
Arms: Argent, three bendlets Sable.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

The coat of arms of Richard Talbot
Or five bends Gules
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

The coat of arms of Richard Foliot
Gules a bend Argent
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

"Azure, a bend Or"
Arms over which the families of Scrope and Grosvenor fought a famous legal battle which established that arms must be unique within a jurisdiction
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

The coat of arms of Hough of Leighton
Arms: Argent, a bend Sable

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Arms: Sable, on a bend Argent three lozenges of the field.
Crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or, a unicorn's head Sable, armed and mained of the first.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Arms of Fenton Of That Ilk
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Arms of Armstrong of Mangerton
Argent three pallets Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

Arms of the Duke of Athol
Or three pallets Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Wikipedia)

John de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl
Or four pallets Sable
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Anselm de Gurney
Paly of sixor and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

John de Blackburn
Paly of six Argent and Azure
(reproduced here by courtesy of Brian Timms)

Woodnet of Shevington
Argent, a cross couped voided Sable.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Swinerton [Swinarton]
Arms: Argent, a cross formee fleury Sable.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Baskerville - hurts
Argent, three hurts.
Crest: A forester habited Vert, holding over the dexter shoulder a crossbow and with the sinister hand, by a leash, a talbot Argent.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Armsof Davenport of Davenport:
Argent, a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee Sable.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Davenport of Bramhall
Arms: Quarterly -
1 and 4 Argent, a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee Sable, a crescent for difference.
2 and 3 [Sable] a lion rampant Or. [Bromhall]
Crest: As before with a crescent for difference.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Davenport of Davenport
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee Sable. Crest: A youth's [felon's] head couped at the shoulder and a rope round the neck (no tinctures given)

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Davenport of Calvely
Arms: Quarterly - 1 and 4 Argent, a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee Sable, a crescent Or for difference. 2 and 3 Argent, a fesse Gules between three calves passant Sable. [Calveley]
Crest: As before differenced.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Davenport of Wheltrough
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee Sable, a crescent Or for difference
Crest: A man's head affronte, couped at the shoulder proper, with a rope round the neck Or, a crescent for difference.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Davenport of Woodford, Lowcross in Malpass, and Broughton
Arms: Argent, on a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee [Sable], a rose [Or], in chief a mullet for cadency

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Newton of Newton and Pownall [per Visitations of 1580]
Arms: Quarterly -
1 Argent, a lion rampant queule fourchie Sable, charged on the shoulder with a cross formee Or
[Pownall*]
2 Argent, on a bend Azure, three garbs Or, a crescent for difference [Fitton]
3 Argent, three birds' heads Sable, erased [beaked] Or [Erdeswick]
4 Argent, on a cross engrailed Azure five garbs Or
[Milneton]
5 Quarterly Vert and Argent, all over a lion rampant Gules [Olton]
6 Argent, a chevron Sable between three wrens Gules [Wrenbury]

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Tannatt of Broxton - Quartly of nine
Arms: Quarterly of nine-
1st Per fess Argent and Sable, a lion rampant counterchanged [EINION EVELL, for TANNATT]
2nd Argent, a chevron Gules between three pheons Sable {KADWGAN BACHOW]
3rd Per bend Ermine and Ermines, over all a lion rampant Or [TREVOR]
4th Ermine, a lion rampant Azure [ELIDOR AP RYS SAIS]
5th Gules, three chevronels Argent [JESTIN AP GWRGANT]
6th Sable, three nags' heads erased Argent [BROCHWELL ISGYTHROC, for LLOYD OF GILDFELD]
7th Argent, a chevron between three pigeons [ravens] Sable, each having an Ermine spot in the beak [LLOWARCH AP BRAN?]
8th Vert, a lion rampant Or [CYNFIN]
9th Or, a lion rampant Azure [CADWGAN]

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

Fitton of Goseworth - use of chapeau
Quarterly of eleven -
1 Argent, a canton Gules, over all on a bend Azure three garbs Or.
2 Gules, two lions passant Argent, a label of three points Or. [Orreby]
3 Argent, two chevrons and a canton Gules. [Orreby]
4 Azure, two bars Argent, over all on a bend Gules three bezants [pheons Or?]. [Legh of Bechton]
5 Or, three lozenges Azure. [Baguley]
6 Azure, three spades or mattocks Or.[Bechton]
7 Argent, a chevron between five cross-crosslets fitche (two above and three below) Sable. [Siddington]
8 Azure, three icicles bendways Or. [Harbottle]
9 Argent, three flagons Gules. [Monboucher]
10 Argent, three escallops Gules. [Charron]
11 Argent, three water bougets Sable. [Littleburne?]

Over all an escucheon of pretence, quarterly of four -
1 and 4 Argent, a cross and bordure both engrailed Sable. [Holdcroft]
2 Argent, a squirrel sejant Gules. [Horton]
3 [Argent] and eagle, wings elevated [Sable], preying on an infant [proper] swadddled Gules. [Culcheth]
Crest: On a chapeau Azure, turned up Ermine, a pansy proper, stalked Vert.

(Armorial Bearings in The Cheshire Visitations
exemplified by Martin S. J. Goldstraw
and reproduced here with his kind permission).

An heraldic bookplate with an unusual representation of the arms of Jeremy Ramsey with the crest acting like a single supporter.
(reproduced here by courtesy of the artist Daniel de Bruin)

John Fordham was Bishop of Durham
between 1382 and 1388.

Here, his personal arms are impaled with those of his bishopric

The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is the only state flag in the United States to be based on English heraldry. (While the flag of Washington, D.C., is a representation of the coat of arms of the Washington family, Washington, D.C. is not a state.) It was officially adopted by Maryland in 1904.

Calvert, being the founder of the colony of Maryland in 1634. The Crossland family was that of the first Lord's mother. As she had no brother and so was the heiress of her family estate, she was permitted under heraldic law to quarter her arms with those of her husband

The coat of arms of Reginald Land,

of North York, Ontario, Canada

Gules on a pale Argent between in chief two open books Proper bound Or a sword point upward and a foul anchor in saltire surmounted by a calumet in pale bowl upward all interlaced with a chaplet of olive leaves Azure between two Loyalist civil coronets in pale Gules; Crest: On a helmet mantled Gules doubled Argent within a wreath of these colours issuant from a circle of trillium flowers Argent seeded Or leaved Vert a demi griffin Azure wings semé of crosses botonné Or its dexter paw resting on a closed book upright Gules clasped Or.

The Arms of Murison

The arms of John Baliol

This coat of arms belonged to Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, who arrived in 1627 and founded a colony of English Catholics at Ferryland, Newfoundland. This was a short-lived endeavour, as Baltimore abandoned his colony due to the harsh winter climate.
Photo courtesy of John de Visser. Taken from Harold Horwood and John de Visser, Historic Newfoundland (Toronto: Oxford University Press, ©1986).

The surname of Saltmarsh was a locational name 'of Saltmarsh' a township in the parish of Howden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Almost every town or village in early times, served to name families - often the leading family. Early records of the name mention Robert Saltmersshe, 1327. Johannes Saltemerche of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 as was Philippus de Saltmershe. Jeremy Saultmarsh and Susan Thorn were married at St. Dionis Backchurch, London in the year 1650.

Howden Minster in Yorkshire houses a "Saltmarsh Chapel" which features many family tombs, memorials, armorial windows and hatchments dating back to the Middle Aged. They make an interesting case history of the development of English heraldry. This photograph comes from a twentieth century brass memorial.

Here is a very old representation of the arms on the sheild of an effigy of a Saltmarsh crusader.

Another very old representation of the arms of Saltmarsh on stone tombstone. The cinqufoils are large enough to stand out as distinct from the crosslets.

There is no attempt to suggest a shield. The arms are presented on a square shape.

In this representation, also in stone, the Cinqfoils are just about distinguishable from the crosslets.

Here is a more recent representation with helm and crest. The crest is a ship's rudder.

In this stained glass window the arms are shown within a wreath. The crest is clearly recognisable (if you know what the rudders of tall ships look like!). Note also the bar with three tabs at the top of the arms. This is a label, and indicates that these arms belonged to the eldest son of the head of the Saltmarsh family.

Here the arms are shown on lozenges, indicating that they belonged to daughters of the head of the Saltmarsh family.

Just above the arms are traces of what were probably ribbons, confirming that the daughters were unmarried.

Here the cinquefoils are shown as smaller than the crosslets - not generally regarded as good practice.

Here are the Saltmarsh arms impaled with quartered arms, presumably those of the armiger's wife.

This is a hatchment of the arms shown on the left. Hatchments like this were painted and hung over the main door for forty days after the death of the armiger. The family motto is replaced by the word Resurgam ("I shal rise again" - an affirmation of Christian belief.

The black and white background conveys additional information - the whitebackground to the sinister side of the arms tells us that the armiger's wife survived him.

The arms of another Saltmarsh armiger impaled with those of his wife's family.

A stone representation of the arms shown on the left The Saltmarsh half (presumably mistakenly) has four not three cinqufoils. While the arms on the left are set inside a wreath this one has helm and lambrequin.

Another representation on a hatchment. The crest on hatchments is often replaced by a human skull but the Saltmarsh family seemto have prefered to use their own crests. As usual on hatchments the motto is replaced by the word Resurgam. One again, the wife survived her husband.

The sinister side of the arms on this stained glass window feature the arms of two other families. This man presumably married twice - a presumption that seems to be supported by the hatchments on the right.

This hatchment is a little different - there is no crest, torse or lambrequin - just some decoration and a cherub. The arms represented on a lozenge, so we can assume that these the arms of the first wife.

These are the husband's arms rep[resented on his hatchement. On the sinister are the arms of his wife's family, and once again his wife survived him. (Perhaps she had some say in the decision not to include the first wife's arms, as in the stained glass window)