Hi all,

Here is some information about Barón Juan María de Ripperda (1725-1780), Governor of Texas from 1770-1778:

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fri23

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_María_Vicencio_de_Ripperdá

Apparently his father was a somewhat strange Dutch adventurer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William,_Baron_Ripperda

I don’t know what arms Governor Ripperda used, but there are lots of images online of various Ripperda arms:

http://86.84.95.4/NazatenDeVries/Genealogie/Genealogie e.d. van derden/Ripperda/Bestanden/97.jpg

http://86.84.95.4/NazatenDeVries/Genealogie/Genealogie e.d. van derden/Ripperda/De Ripperda’s, een eeuwenoud geslacht.html

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Oosterwijtwerd_-_hervormde_kerk_-_Carol_Victor_Ripperda_(1686).jpg/566px-Oosterwijtwerd_-_hervormde_kerk_-_Carol_Victor_Ripperda_(1686).jpg

Here is a (frustratingly) small portrait of Governor Ripperda’s father with his arms:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Johan_Willem_Ripperda.jpg

Even more frustrating is this image of Governor Ripperda’s father’s Adelsdiploma without a picture of his arms:

http://www.spulomdingenvantemaken.nl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Oorkonde.jpg

...but I think the original document is here:

http://www.archieven.nl/nl/zoeken?mivast=0&mizig=210&miadt=5&miaet=1&micode=568&minr=903778&miview=inv2

I cannot read Dutch, but I think people can download a scan of this document, which may or may not contain a picture of the coat of arms.  The file is a .djvu file, whatever that means.  I downloaded it, but haven’t been able to open it.

Cheers,

snelson;100734 wrote:

...but I think the original document is here:

http://www.archieven.nl/nl/zoeken?mivast=0&mizig=210&miadt=5&miaet=1&micode=568&minr=903778&miview=inv2

I cannot read Dutch, but I think people can download a scan of this document, which may or may not contain a picture of the coat of arms. The file is a .djvu file, whatever that means. I downloaded it, but haven’t been able to open it.

 

The next page after the title page with no arms is:

http://www.americanheraldry.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1279&stc=1&d=1380077096

The document is in Spanish, a grant of nobility to don Juan Guillermo Varon (Baron) de Ripperda making him a grandee of Spain with the title of Duque (Duke) de Ripperda.  Unfortunately I don’t find a blazon of the arms in the document.

Thanks!  PS here is a link about the Ripperda arms from the website of the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie:

http://www.cbg.nl/index.php?registratiecode=HDATNL014621&status=D&exact=JA&cat=HDAT&zoekterm=ripperda

Quote:

...Wapen: gevierendeeld: I in goud drie zwarte adelaars, rood getongd en goud gesnaveld en gepoot; II in blauw een ster vergezeld boven van twee lelies, alles goud; III in rood drie geopende zilveren burchten; IV in goud een zwarte adelaar, rood getongd en goud gesnaveld en gepoot, vergezeld rechtsonder van een blauwe ster…

Can anyone here read Dutch?  Does this blazon match the image from the picture from the grant of nobility?

I don’t really read Dutch but can decipher Dutch blazons reasonably well.

"Quarterly, I in gold three black eagles tongued red and beaked and footed gold; II in blue a star accompanied by two lilies above, all gold; III in red three open silver castles/towers; IV in gold a black eagle, tongued red and beaked and footed gold accompanied at the lower right by a blue star; inescutcheon ("heart shield") in black a [geharneste?] knight with sword held horizontally on a galloping horse all gold."

Joseph McMillan;100737 wrote:

"...accompanied at the lower right by a blue star…."

The eagle’s right?

This is a very nice find.

snelson;100736 wrote:

Thanks!  PS here is a link about the Ripperda arms from the website of the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie

The CBG identifies the armiger as Johan Willem van Ripperda, Lord of Jensema, Engelenburgh and Ferwerd, baron of Coudekerk and Poelgeest, hereditary judge of Amsterland and Campen.  Spanish duke and grandee 1st class 18 July 1725.  Died 1737.

Rietstap’s Armorial General also gives the blazon, mentioning the horizontal line between the eagles in quarter 1 :

Ripperda (van) : Ecartele; au 1 d’or a trois aigles de sable et une ligne horizontale de sable passant entre les aigles 2 au-dessus et 1 au-dessous de ladite ligne; au 2 d’azur a deux fleurs-de-lis d’or en chef et une etoile du meme en pointe; au 3 de gueules a trois tours d’argent; au 4 d’or a l’aigle de sable acc au canton dextre de la pointe d’une etoile d’azur.  Sur le tout de sable a un chevalier arme de toutes pieces orne; d’un baudrier de gueules monte; sur un cheval bai galopant sur une terrasse rocheuse au naturel ledit chevalier tenant une lance en bande cachee a demi derriere le cheval.  Supports deux griffons de couleur verdatre la queue passee entre les jambes.  Manteau d’azur double d’hermine somme; d’une couronne ducale.

The inescutcheon is the Van Ripperda arms.  Perhaps the four quarters refer to some of the lordships and baronies. Qr 1 bears some resemblance to the arms of the lords of Poelgeest, which are now the arms of Koudekerk

( http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Koudekerk_aan_den_Rijn ).

Nice find Sebastian!

geharneste (or more proper geharnaste) means wearing a harness in Dutch. Sorry for the late response, Joe did a terrific job in translating.