An Unusual Venetian Shield above an Extraordinary Door. Contributed by Hugh Eveleigh For anyone interested in heraldry Venice is well worth a visit in that Achievements of Arms and heraldic and quasi-heraldic symbols are everywhere apparent. Binoculars help considerably as it is not always possible to get close enough to read them properly.  For all its obvious variety, somehow the majority of examples retain what might be called restraint. Heraldry and its use by Venetian noble families mirrors the myth of Venetian civil restraint which patrician leaders of the republic were [...]

Heiresses and the "Rules" of Quartering Contributed by Hugh Wood The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate that things are often much more complicated than they seem; that some of the apparent  "rules" of heraldry clearly didn’t exist in medieval times, and that even later they were not uncommonly ignored or circumvented. A coat of arms of Henry Radcliffe (d1557) 2nd earl of Sussex, now in the Burrell Collection in Glasgow is an excellent case study - see opposite. There will probably be readers of this article who know much more [...]

The Heraldry of Richard, 3rd duke of YorkContributed by Hugh Wood All the books on heraldry (and our teach-yourself course) explain how a man who marries an heraldic heiress may place her father’s coat of arms on a small inescutcheon in the centre of his own arms. Sometime around 1600, William Scudamore (d1649) of Balligham in Herefordshire married Sarah Kyrle, daughter of Anthony Kyrle of Walford Court, also in Herefordshire. On her father’s death she became the owner of the family coat of arms (jointly with any sisters she may have had) so William [...]

The Scudamore Heiress Contributed by Hugh Wood Being a wealthy heiress, Frances Scudamore (1711-1750) could afford to enjoy life, and in doing so she acquired a rather dubious reputation. Alexander Pope said of her ‘My Lady Scudamore really behaves scandalously among us”. She was the sole heir of James Scudamore  3rd Viscount Scudamore of Holme Lacy near Hereford. Although the viscountcy became extinct, when her father died, all his estates devolved on her. The Scudamore arms are Gules three stirrups leathered and buckled or. The hatchment opposite is that of Frances' mother, Viscountess Scudamore [...]

Martley - Enigmatic Heraldry and a Yorkist Effigy Contributed by Hugh Wood The Heraldry The pretty church of St Peter sits on rising ground overlooking meadows on the edge of the village of Martley in Worcestershire. Much of the inside is decorated with wall paintings, but it is the patterns around the easternmost window on the south side which is of major interest to the heraldist. The images opposite given a general view of the window, together with an attempt to emphasise some of the features. To appreciate the significance of the design [...]