Part 27 (1/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 366.--Earl of Chester.]
A cinquefoil, said to have been borne by him on a red s.h.i.+eld, was the device of ROBERT FITZ-PERNEL, Earl of LEICESTER, who died in 1204.
Accordingly, the cinquefoil, derived from him, as early as the thirteenth century, appears in token of feudal connection on the s.h.i.+elds of many families of Leicesters.h.i.+re. As I have already shown, (page 183) a BERKELEY, who was of Leicesters.h.i.+re, subst.i.tuted _ten cinquefoils_ for the ten crosses patee of the Berkeley s.h.i.+eld; and thus he combined feudal Differencing with Cadency.
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 367.--Fitz Ralph.]
Many a red chevron or chevronel, with other devices, charged upon a golden field, or a gold chevron on a red field, is a sign of feudal alliance with the great house of DE CLARE, whose s.h.i.+eld was--_Or, three chevronels gu._, No. 124. For example, the FITZ-RALPHS, near neighbours of the De Clares at Clare in Suffolk, differenced the s.h.i.+eld of the Earls by charging _silver fleurs de lys_ on each chevronel, as in No.
367 (E. 2); and, for secondary difference, they sometimes added a _bordure azure_, as in the fine early Bra.s.s at Pebmarsh, near Clare.
Again: by a change of tinctures, without affecting the charges of the s.h.i.+eld, the Arms of L'ERCEDECKNE (now Archdeacon) are--_Arg., three chevronels sa._
At Carlaverock, EDMUND DE HASTINGS, brother of the Earl, bore--_Or, a maunche gu., with a label of five points sa._, the Earl himself bearing simply--_Or, a maunche gu._, No. 276. And, close by the side of EDMOND DE HASTINGS was his friend and companion, the feudal ally, without doubt, of his house, JOHN PAIGNEL, a very proper comrade, as the chronicler testifies--
”Un bacheler jolif et comte,”
who differenced Hastings by change of tinctures, and bore--_Vert, a maunche or_.
The s.h.i.+eld of the n.o.ble house of DE LUTERELL, or LOTEREL, I have blazoned with changed tinctures for two near kinsmen bearing that name (page 182), thus showing in what manner they marked their Cadency. This same s.h.i.+eld, No. 368--_Or, a bend between six martlets sa._, was also differenced by other families to mark their feudal alliance with the house of Luterell. Thus, the DE FURNIVALS, themselves a powerful and distinguished family, who held their lands by feudal tenure under the Luterells, in token of this alliance bore the s.h.i.+eld of De Luterell with a fresh change of tinctures; and, accordingly, the arms of the De Furnivals are well known as--_Arg., a bend between six martlets gu._ Then, while the FURNIVALS, for Cadency, differenced these arms amongst themselves, _their_ feudal allies and dependants, the ECCLESALLS or EKELESHALES, the MOUNTENEYS, the WADESLES or WADSLEYS, and the WORTELES or WORTLEYS, all united in declaring their connection with their chief by a.s.suming arms founded upon the Furnival Coat. These very interesting and characteristic examples of feudal Differencing are well blazoned, as follows, in the Roll of EDWARD II. For DE ECCLESALL--_Sa., a bend between six martlets or_: for DE MOUNTENEY--_Gu., a bend between six martlets or_: for DE WADSLEY--_Arg., on a bend between six martlets gu., three escallops or_, No. 369: and for DE WORTLEY--_Arg., on a bend between six martlets gu., three bezants_, No. 370.
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 368.--De Luterell.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 369.--De Wadsley.]
The MOUNTENEYS further difference their common arms, for Cadency, after this manner. Instead of _gules_, Sir ERNAUF DE MOUNTENEY has the field of his s.h.i.+eld _azure_, his bend and martlets being _golden_: Sir JOHN bears these same arms, but charges his bend with a _mullet gules_, No.
371: Sir T. DE MOUNTENEY bears Sir John's arms, but with _a field gules_: and another Sir JOHN cotises his bend thus--_Gu., a bend cotised between six martlets or_, No. 372.
North of the Tweed, also, the same principle is found to be exemplified in Scottish Heraldry. ”In Annandale,” writes Mr. SETON, ”the chief and saltire of the Bruces are carried (of different tinctures and with additional figures) by the Jardines, Kirkpatricks, Johnstons, and other families.” The arms of BRUCE are--_Or, a saltire and a chief gu._, No.
73: those of JARDINE are--_Arg., a saltire and a chief gu., the latter charged with three mullets of the field, pierced of the second_: and the arms of KIRKPATRICK are--_Arg., a saltire and chief az., the latter charged with three cus.h.i.+ons or_. This coat of Kirkpatrick is also borne by the JOHNSTONS, the tinctures differenced thus--_Arg., a saltire sa., and on a chief gu. three cus.h.i.+ons or_.
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 370.--De Wortley.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 371.--Sir John de Mounteney.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 372.--Sir John de Mounteney.]
Once more, returning to the southern side of the Scottish border, of RICHARD DE NEVILLE, the renowned ”King-maker,” we find it to be recorded that, so great was his popularity at Calais, of which city he was governor, that his Badges were universally adopted,--”no man esteeming himself gallant whose head was not adorned with his _silver ragged staff_ (No. 294); nor was any door frequented, that had not his _white cross_ (silver saltire, No. 121) painted thereon.” This was an extravagant application of the earlier usage in denoting feudal alliance, such as was in keeping with the heraldic sentiment of the second half of the fourteenth century. Those good citizens of Calais, however, who were Neville-wors.h.i.+ppers four hundred years ago, were not singular in exhibiting an armorial ensign at the entrance to their houses. Numerous, indeed, are the doorways in various parts of England, and particularly in the counties of Surrey, Suss.e.x, and Norfolk, which in the ”sign of the chequers” still display the insignia (_chequee or and az._, No. 68) of the once mighty Earls of WARRENNE and SURREY; and thus show that relics of the old feudal influence are endowed with a tenacious vitality, which prolongs their existence for ages after the feudal system itself has pa.s.sed away. But no doubt some cases must be referred to the less romantic explanation of the reckoning board of the Steward.
Differencing adopted, so far as now is apparent, _simply for the sake of distinction_, lays open before the student of Heraldry a wide and a diversified field of inquiry. All the miscellaneous charges that are a.s.sociated in blazon with the Ordinaries, and also with the Subordinaries, thus are brought under consideration; and, without a doubt, it was for the express purpose of Differencing that many of these charges were introduced into English Heraldry. How far some remote degree of relations.h.i.+p, or some subordinate feudal motive now lost to sight and forgotten, may originally have affected the choice of Charges ”for difference,” it is not possible now to determine; nor can we always follow the rebus-loving search for a ”Difference,” that might speak through that allusive quality which is a primary element of the Herald's science. We do know that the act of bearing the same arms by different families, without some heraldic Difference, was of very rare occurrence; and that, when it did occur, it was regarded with marked surprise, and on more than one occasion led to a memorable controversy: and, further, we find great numbers of early differenced s.h.i.+elds, which ill.u.s.trate in a very effective manner the growth and development of English Heraldry.
s.h.i.+elds of this order have strong claims on our attention. The examples that I am able here to place before students are to be regarded simply as specimens, few in number, and yet sufficient to show some of the varied forms under which early Differencing was effected.
The proceedings in the High Court of Chivalry in the suit between Sir RICHARD LE SCROPE and Sir ROBERT GROSVENOR, relative to the right to the Arms--_Azure, a bend or_, No. 111--commenced on the 17th of August 1385, and the final judgment of the King himself upon the appeal of the defendant against the finding of the Court was not p.r.o.nounced till the 27th of May 1390. On the 15th of May 1389 the judgment of the Court a.s.signed the arms--_Azure, a bend or_--to Sir RICHARD LE SCROPE; and to Sir ROBERT GROSVENOR, these arms--_Az., a bend or, within a plain bordure argent_. Thus the Court confirmed to Sir Richard le Scrope the right to bear the Ordinary in its severe simplicity, without any other charge and without any Difference: and, at the same time, it was decided that these arms of Scrope should be differenced, in order that they might become the arms of Grosvenor, and the ”Difference” was to be a _plain silver bordure_. The whole of the proceedings in this remarkable case are preserved, and have been published; and they derive a peculiar interest from the circ.u.mstance, that amongst the witnesses who gave evidence was the father of English Poetry, GEOFFREY CHAUCER. Appeal having been made to the Sovereign, RICHARD II. determined that a ”plain bordure argent” was a Mark of Cadency, good and right, and perfectly sufficient as a Difference ”between Cousin and Cousin in blood”; but that it was ”not a sufficient Difference in Arms between two strangers in blood in one kingdom.” The King, therefore, cancelled and annulled the sentence of the Court of Chivalry; and in so doing he gave a very clear definition of the distinction to be observed in Heraldry between kinsmen and strangers in blood. Then it was that the s.h.i.+eld, _Azure, a garb or_, was adopted as the arms of Grosvenor. We may a.s.sume, that the judgment of the Court would have been confirmed by the King, had Sir Robert Grosvenor been commanded to blazon his golden bend between two garbs, or charged with one or more garbs, or with three garbs on a chief, or with any other decided Difference which would be palpably distinct from a Mark of Cadency.
The examples of Differenced s.h.i.+elds which follow I have selected from the Roll of EDWARD II. It will be seen that in each small group of these examples some primary feature of the composition is common to every s.h.i.+eld, so that the distinction between the s.h.i.+elds in each group is effected either by a simple change of tinctures, or by the introduction of various secondary charges.
CHIEFS.--Sir JOHN DE ARDERNE--_Gu., crusilee and a chief or_. Sir THOMAS LE ROUS--_Erm., on a chief indented gu. two escallops arg._ Sir JOHN DE CLINTONE--_Arg., on a chief az. two fleurs de lys or_, No. 74. Sir JOHN DE CLINTONE, of Maxtoke--_Arg., on a chief az. two mullets or_, No. 75: here the Difference denotes Cadency as well as a distinct individuality.
BENDS.--Sir ROBERT POUTREL.--_Or, on a bend az. three fleurs de lys arg._ Sir WALTER DE BERMYNGHAM--_Arg., on a bend gu., cotised az., three esallops or_. OLIVER DE BOHUN--_Az., on a bend, cotised and between six lioncels or, three escallops gu._, No. 321.
FESSES AND BARS.--Sir JOHN DE DAGEWORTH--_Erm., a fesse gu. bezantee_, No. 80. Sir G. DE WACHESHAM--_Arg., a fesse and in chief three crescents gu._ Sir R. DE COLEVILLE--_Or, a fesse gu., and in chief three torteaux_. Sir J. DE GEYTONE--_Arg., a fesse between six fleurs de lys gu._ Sir G. DE OUSFLET--_Arg., on a fesse az. three fleurs de lys or_.
Sir R. DE LOMELYE (Lumley)--_Gu., on a fesse between three popinjays arg., as many mullets sa._ Sir B. BADLESMERE--_Arg., a fesse between bars gemelles gu._ Sir G. DE LA MERE--_Or, a fesse between bars gemelles az._, No. 84. Sir J. DE PREIERES--_Gu., a fesse between bars gemelles arg._ Sir J. WAKE--_Or, two bars gu., in chief three torteaux_, No. 82.
Sir B. PYCOT--_Az., two bars or, in chief three bezants_. Sir R. DE WEDONE--_Arg., two bars gu., in chief three martlets sa._ Sir R.
BORDET--_Az., two bars or, on the uppermost three martlets gu._ Sir R.
DE ROYINGE--_Arg., three bars and an orle of martlets gu._ Sir N. DE ESTOTEVILLE--_Barry arg. and gu., three lioncels sa._ Sir R. DE YNGELFELD--_Barrulee arg. and gu., on a chief or a lion pa.s.s. az._ Sir W. DE MONECASTRE--_Barrulee arg. and gu., on a bend sa. three escallops or_. Sir T. DE PONINGE--_Barry or and vert, on a bend gu. three mullets arg._
CROSSES.--Sir N. DE WEYLANDE--_Arg., on a cross gu. five escallops or_.