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For over 30 years with
careful and meticulous attention to every
detail, we have been the leading makers of
surname histories and heraldic artwork.
Authenticity is our trademark. Accurate texts
and registers from all over the world have been
collected to make up our source
library.
Our product is guaranteed
100%. Right to Bear Arms: Our Coats of
Arms are heraldically accurate depictions of an
Armorial borne by a bearer of the depicted
surname or one of its spelling variations, at
some point in history.
We create the Coats of Arm
and crest by interpreting the Blazons
(technical descriptions) in the most recognized
Armorial source books. To actually bear
arms, you must be granted the coat of Arms by
one of the Colleges of Arms, or prove descent
from someone who once bore the arms in
question.
In England and Wales,
Arms are granted under the authority of the
Earl Marshall by the Garter King of Arms, in
Scotland by the Lyon King of Arms, and in
Ireland by the Ulster King of Arms. Similar
bodies exist in Europe and in other
countries.
There will certainly be
more than one Coat of Arms associated with most
surnames. We have generally tried to locate the
oldest one on record for the region of
interest.
Our Coats of Arms can be
displayed with pride as a piece of historical
artwork.
The Language of
Heraldry
Contrary to
popular opinion, coats of arms were rarely
recorded visually, that is to say in the form
of a picture or drawing. And so, today it is
often up to the heraldic artist to render arms
from a written descriptions. As a result, there
is no absolutely correct way to draw or paint a
lion rampant, for example; however, the size,
proportions portions and positioning of the
lion do follow a precise format that is still
observed today.
The language used
to describe the heraldic tinctures (metals,
colors and furs), ordinaries and devices
developed to quite a concise but common
language throughout Europe by the sixteenth
century. This is called blazoning. While many
countries often recorded the arms in their own
language, the structure was for the most part
universal (generally the tincture of the
surface of the shield is provided first,
followed by ordinaries and devices or emblazons
and their colors. Thus the expression " Ar... a
lion ramp. sa..." can be translated to "Argent,
a lion rampant, sable" or a silver shield with
a black lion rampant. As you can see, the
heraldic description is neither French, Latin
or English but a mixture of many languages that
has developed over the
centuries.
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