Determining Gender in Hatchments

There are a number of things that can help us decide whether a hatchment is of a man or a woman. These are frequently suggested as a series of “rules” and they usually work fine – but not always!

What is the background of the hatchment?

If one half of the background of the hatchment is black and the other isn’t, then one need to go no further. The position of the black part immediately indicates whether husband or wife has died. However, if the background to the hatchment is all black we need to look for other indicators.

What is the shape of the coat of arms?

If the arms are on a shield, or on some indeterminate shape, it is not possible to decide between man and woman, but if they are on a lozenge then the hatchment is definitely that of a woman.

Is there a helm and/or a crest?

This definitely indicates a man.

If there is no helm, are the arms decorated with scrolls, cherubs etc?

This definitely indicates a woman.

Is there a motto?

This usually indicates a man.

But beware, as with so much in heraldry, these rules cannot be relied on, as there are plenty of exceptions out there. Some of these exceptions suggest that we need to adjust our rules a little, while others just seem plain wrong.

Three Hatchments that fit our Rules

M = man’s arms
W = woman’s arms
?? = this doesn’t allow us to distinguish man from woman

M impaled with W
Background: all black – ??
Shape of arms: shield – ??
Helm/crest: yes – man
Motto: yes – man
MAN

M impaled with W
Background: all black – ??
Shape of arms: roundish – ??
Helm/crest: no – woman
Scrolls, cherubs: yes – woman
Motto: no – woman
WOMAN

M with an escutcheon of W
Background: all black – ??
Shape of arms: lozenge – woman
Helm/crest: no – woman
Scrolls, cherubs: yes – woman
Motto: no – woman
WOMAN

But, as you can see below, we can’t actually rely on the the existence
of a Motto to distinguish gender, so best ignore it

As this hatchment has helm and crest and there is no sign of a second coat of arms this must be the hatchment of a single man
but there is no motto.

As the sinister background is black this is definitely a woman
but there appears to be a motto.
In fact it is not a motto. It is one of several hopeful expressions commonly added to hatchments of both men and women. Here are some examples:
Resurgam = I will rise again
Mors Janua Vita = Death is the Gateway to Life
In Coelo Quies = In Heaven there is Rest

The lozenge tells us that this is definitely a woman
but this time there is a real motto
It is actually the motto of her husband who was a Scudamore. It is a pun on his name:
Scuto Amoris Divini = by the Shield of God’s Love

Finally – Two that definitely bend or break the “Rules”

At first glance this is a typical man’s hatchment with helm, crest, motto and lots of impressive mantling. But the sinister side is black, so it’s actually the hatchment of his heiress wife.

At first glance this is a typical woman’s hatchment with no helm or mantling and plenty of swirly decoration. On closer inspection, there is a crest, but the clincher is the fact that half the background on the sinister side is white. So this is a man who has died, his second wife surviving him.

RETURN ☛☛