Part 34 (1/2)

Woodward, in concluding his chapter upon insects, quotes the arms of the family of Pullici of Verona, viz.: ”Or, seme of fleas sable, two bends gules, surmounted by two bends sinister of the same.” {262}

CHAPTER XVIII

TREES, LEAVES, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS

The vegetable kingdom plays an important part in heraldry. Trees will be found of all varieties and in all numbers, and though little difference is made in the appearance of many varieties when they are heraldically depicted, for canting purposes the various names are carefully preserved.

When, however, no name is specified, they are generally drawn after the fas.h.i.+on of oak-trees.

When a tree issues from the ground it will usually be blazoned ”issuant from a mount vert,” but when the roots are shown it is termed ”eradicated.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 486.--An oak-tree eradicated.]

_A Hurst of Trees_ figures both on the s.h.i.+eld and in the crest of France-Hayhurst, and in the arms of Lord Lismore [”Argent, in base a mount vert, on the dexter side a hurst of oak-trees, therefrom issuing a wolf pa.s.sant towards the sinister, all proper”]. A hurst of elm-trees very properly is the crest of the family of Elmhurst. Under the description of a forest, a number of trees figure in the arms of Forrest.

The arms of Walkinshaw of that Ilk are: ”Argent, a grove of fir-trees proper,” and Walkinshaw of Barrowfield and Walkinshaw of London have matriculated more or less similar arms.

_The Oak-Tree_ (Fig. 486) is of course the tree most frequently met with.

Perhaps the most famous coat in which it occurs will be found in the arms granted to Colonel Carlos, to commemorate his risky sojourn with King Charles in the oak-tree at Boscobel, after the King's flight subsequent to the ill-fated battle of Worcester. The coat was: ”Or, on a mount in base vert, an oak-tree proper, fructed or, surmounted by a fess gules, charged with three imperial crowns of the third” (Plate II.).

_Fir-Trees_ will be found in the arms of Greg, Melles, De la Ferte, and Farquharson.

_A Cedar-Tree_ occurs in the arms of Montefiore [”Argent, a cedar-tree, between two mounts of flowers proper, on a chief azure, a dagger {263} erect proper, pommel and hilt or, between two mullets of six points gold”], and a _hawthorn-tree_ in the arms of MacMurrogh-Murphy, Thornton, and in the crest of Kynnersley.

_A Maple-Tree_ figures in the arms of Lord Mount-Stephen [”Or, on a mount vert, a maple-tree proper, in chief two fleurs-de-lis azure”], and in the crest of Lord Strathcona [”On a mount vert, a maple-tree, at the base thereof a beaver gnawing the trunk all proper”].

_A Cocoanut-Tree_ is the princ.i.p.al charge in the arms of Glasgow (now Robertson-Glasgow) of Montgrennan, matriculated in 1807 [”Argent, a cocoanut-tree fructed proper, growing out of a mount in base vert, on a chief azure, a shakefork between a martlet on the dexter and a salmon on the sinister argent, the last holding in the mouth a ring or”].

The arms of Clifford afford an instance of a _Coffee-Tree_, and the coat of Chambers has a negro cutting down a _Sugar-Cane_.

_A Palm-Tree_ occurs in the arms of Besant and in the armorials of many other families. The crest of Grimke-Drayton affords an instance of the use of palmetto-trees. An _Olive-Tree_ is the crest of Tancred, and a _Laurel-Tree_ occurs in the crest of Somers.

_Cypress-Trees_ are quoted by Papworth in the arms of Birkin, probably an error for birch-trees, but the cypress does occur in the arms of Tardy, Comte de Montravel [”Argent, three cypress-trees eradicated vert, on a chief gules, as many bezants”], and ”Or, a willow (salix) proper” is the coat of the Counts de Salis (now Fane-de-Salis).

The arms of Sweetland, granted in 1808, are: ”Argent, on a mount vert, an orange-tree fructed proper, on a chief embattled gules, three roses of the field, barbed and seeded also proper.”

_A Mountain-Ash_ figures in the s.h.i.+eld and crest of Wigan, and a _Walnut-Tree_ is the crest of Waller, of Groombridge [”On a mount vert, a walnut-tree proper, on the sinister side an escutcheon pendent, charged with the arms of France, and thereupon a label of three points argent.”]

The arms of Arkwright afford an example of a _Cotton-Tree_.

The curious crest of Sir John Leman, Lord Mayor of London, affords an instance of a _Lemon-Tree_ [”In a lemon-tree proper, a pelican in her piety proper”].

The arms of a family whose name appears to have been variously spelled Estwere, Estwrey, Estewer, Estower, and Esture, have: ”Upon an argent field a tree proper,” variously described as an apple-tree, an ash-tree, and a cherry-tree. The probabilities largely point to its being an ash-tree. ”Or, on a mount in base vert, a pear-tree fructed proper” is the coat of arms of Pyrton or Peryton, and the arms granted in 1591 to Dr. Lopus, a physician to Queen Elizabeth, were: ”Or, a {264} pomegranate-tree eradicated vert, fructed gold, supported by a hart rampant proper, crowned and attired of the first.”

_A Poplar Tree_ occurs in the arms of Gandolfi, but probably the prime curiosity must be the coat of Abank, which Papworth gives as: ”Argent, a China-c.o.kar tree vert.” Its botanical ident.i.ty remains a mystery.

_Trunks of Trees_ for some curious reason play a prominent part in heraldry. The arms of Borough, of Chetwynd Park, granted in 1702, are: ”Argent, on a mount in base, in base the trunk of an oak-tree sprouting out two branches proper, with the s.h.i.+eld of Pallas hanging thereon or, fastened by a belt gules,” and the arms of Houldsworth (1868) of Gonaldston, co.

Notts, are: ”Ermine, the trunk of a tree in bend raguly eradicated at the base proper, between three foxes' heads, two in chief and one in base erased gules.”

But it is as a crest that this figure of the withered trunk sprouting again is most often met with, it being a.s.signed to no less than forty-three families.