Dating a medieval carving at the Swan Inn in Clare This post is adapted from an article previously published in Mortimer Matters Brightening up the front of the Swan Inn in Clare in Suffolk is this colourful piece of carved wood. Its shape suggests that it was once the sill of an oriel window. The pub itself is thought to date from the 17th century, but the sign is much older, and much more interesting for us, as it came from nearby Clare castle. Looking closely you’ll see the royal [...]

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. [...]

Differencing within Families and Localities Adapted from an article by Michael Ray In his fine book, The Knight in Medieval England 1000-1400 (Thrupp, 1996), Peter Coss explains, discusses and illustrates the differencing of heraldic arms within families, local loyalties and feudal relationships. I am grateful to Peter for permission to use some of his illustrations in this article. The Earls of Chester The image opposite shows the similarities between arms associated with Chester.  The arms of the earldom of Chester were azure, three garbs or - a [...]

Some Augmentations of Honour awarded by Richard II and Henry VIII Contributed by Brendon Clarke During the present age, whether or not a grant of arms made by the Office of The Lord Lyon in Scotland or the College of Arms in London is an honorific must be debatable.  Unlike an MBE and similar decorations that are distinctions presented for merit or service without being either asked for by the recipient or invoiced, grants of armorials from the Lord Lyon or the Heralds’ College must be applied for by the person [...]

A Mortimer Quartering on an Unusual Royal Shield Contributed by Hugh Wood The rather streaky coat of arms on the right is one of several adorning an impressive gateway at Lumley Castle in County Durham. Originally built in 1389 by Ralph Lumley 1st baron Lumley (d1400), this gateway dates only from the 18th century. The various coats of arms on it form a collection of historical Lumleys with their wives, and this one is of Thomas Lumley (d1502) and his wife Margaret (aka Elizabeth) Plantagenet, a natural daughter of Edward IV. [...]

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 [...]