Part 40 (1/2)

In English armory the use of _Scythes_, or, as they are sometimes termed, _Sneds_, is but occasional, though, as was only to be expected, this device appears in the Sneyd coat, as follows: ”Argent, a scythe, the blade in chief, the sned in bend sinister sable, in the fess point a fleur-de-lis of the second.” In Poland the Counts Jezierski bore: ”Gules, two scythe-blades in oval, the points crossing each other argent, and the ends in base tied together or, the whole surmounted in chief by a cross-patriarchal-patee, of which the lower arm on the sinister side is wanting.”

Two sickles appear in the arms of Shearer, while the Hungerford crest in the case of the Holdich-Hungerford family is blazoned: {299} ”Out of a ducal coronet or, a pepper garb of the first between two sickles erect proper.” The sickle was the badge of the Hungerfords.

A _Balance_ forms one of the charges of the Scottish Corporation of the Dean and Faculty of Advocates: ”Gules, a balance or, and a sword argent in saltire, surmounted of an escutcheon of the second, charged with a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counterflory of the first,” but it is a charge of infrequent appearance. It also figures in the arms of the Inst.i.tute of Chartered Accountants.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 551.--Water-bouget.]

Bannerman of Elsick bears a _Banner_ for arms: ”Gules, a banner displayed argent and thereon on a canton azure a saltire argent as the badge of Scotland.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 552.--Arms of Henry Bourchier, Earl of Ess.e.x, K.G.: Quarterly, 1 and 4, argent, a cross engrailed gules, between four water-bougets sable (for Bourchier); 2 and 3, gules, billette or, a fess argent (for Louvain). (From his seal.)]

_Books_ are frequently made use of. The arms of Rylands, the family to whose generosity Manchester owes the Rylands Library, afford a case in point, and such charges occur in the arms of the Universities of both Oxford and Cambridge, and in many other university and collegiate achievements.

_Buckets_ and _Water-bougets_ (Fig. 551) can claim a wide use. In English armory Pemberton has three buckets, and water-bougets appear in the well-known arms of Bourchier (Fig. 552). Water-bougets, which are really the old form of water-bucket, were leather bags or bottles, two of which were carried on a stick over the shoulder. The heraldic water-bouget represents the pair.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 553.--Escallop.]

For an instance of the heraldic usage of the _Comb_ the case of the arms of Ponsonby, Earls of Bessborough, may be cited. Combs also figure in the delightfully punning Scottish coat for Rocheid.

Generally, however, when they do occur in heraldry they represent combs for carding wool, as in the s.h.i.+eld of Tunstall: ”Sable, three wool-combs argent,” while the Russian Counts Anrep-Elmpt use: ”Or, a comb in bend azure, the teeth downwards.”

_Escallops_ (Fig. 553) rank as one of the most widely used heraldic charges in all countries. They figured in early days outside the limits of heraldry as the badge of pilgrims going to the Holy Land, and may {300} be seen on the s.h.i.+elds of many families at the period of the Crusades. Many other families have adopted them, in the hope of a similar interpretation being applied to the appearance of them in their own arms. Indeed, so numerous are the cases in which they occur that a few representative ones must suffice.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 554.--Arms of Hammersmith: Party per pale azure and gules, on a chevron between two cross crosslets in chief and an escallop in base argent, three horseshoes of the first. Crest: on a wreath of the colours, upon the battlements of a tower, two hammers in saltire all proper. Motto: ”Spectemur agendo.”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 555.--Arms of the Great Central Railway: Argent, on a cross gules, voided of the field, between two wings in chief sable and as many daggers erect in base of the second, in the fess point a morion winged of the third, on a chief also of the second a pale of the first, thereon eight arrows saltirewise banded also of the third, between on the dexter side three bendlets enhanced and on the sinister a fleur-de-lis or. Crest: on a wreath of the colours, a representation of the front of a locomotive engine proper, between two wings or. [The grant is dated February 25, 1898.]]

They will be found in the arms of the Lords Dacre, who bore: ”Gules, three escallops argent;” and an escallop argent was used by the same family as a badge. The Scottish family of Pringle, of Greenknowe, supplies an instance in: ”Azure, three escallops or within a bordure engrailed of the last;”

while the Irish Earls of Bandon bore: ”Argent, on a bend azure three escallops of the field.” {301}

_Hammers_ figure in the crests of Hammersmith (Fig. 554) and of Swindon (Plate VI.), and a hammer is held in the claw of the demi-dragon which is the crest of Fox-Davies of Coalbrookdale, co. Salop (Plate VI.).

A _Lantern_ is a charge on the s.h.i.+eld of Cowper, and the arms of the town of Hove afford an absolutely unique instance of the use of _Leg-Irons_.

Three towns--Eccles, Bootle, and Ramsgate--supply cases in their arms in which a _Lighthouse_ is depicted, and this charge would appear, so far as can be ascertained, not only to be restricted to English armory, but to the three towns now named.

_Locomotives_ appear in the arms of Swindon (Plate VI.) and the Great Central Railway (Fig. 555).

Of a similar industrial character is the curious coat of arms granted at his express wish to the late Mr. Samson Fox of Leeds and Harrogate, which contains a representation of the _Corrugated Boiler-Flue_ which formed the basis of his fortune.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 556.--Catherine wheel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 557.--Staple.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 558.--Hawk's Lure.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 559.--Fylfot.]

An instance of the use of a _Sand-Gla.s.s_ occurs in the arms of the Scottish family of Joa.s.s of Collinwort, which are thus blazoned: ”Vert, a sand-gla.s.s running argent, and in chief the Holy Bible expanded proper.”

A Scottish corporation, too, supplies a somewhat unusual charge, that of _Scissors_: ”Azure, a pair of scissors or” (Incorporation of Tailors of Aberdeen); though a Swabian family (by name Jungingen) has for its arms: ”Azure, a pair of scissors open, blades upwards argent.”