Hello - New Member Here

 
daverham
 
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daverham
Total Posts:  6
Joined  16-10-2013
 
 
 
31 October 2013 14:10
 

Hi there folks. My eyes have just been opened to the fact that this art form is still alive - and thriving - with such a rich history and huge library of detailed symbolism. How awesome. I see heraldry everywhere now.

I’m a graphic designer and as such have made references to "heraldic" shields and beasts somewhat casually in the past, but am only now digging deeper to try and have a better understanding and maybe bring some authenticity to the occasional mimicry required by my profession.

 

I bought a big stack of books on the topic.

 

All this has reminded me that my family is only a generation or two removed from our roots in Liverpool, England and there is supposedly a "Cole family coat of arms" (and a castle as well). Naturally I’m very curious about that. If anyone has any tips for researching such a thing, I’m all ears. Until then, I’ll start poking around the forums for the right place to ask questions.

 

I’m new to all this so I don’t even know what, if anything, family arms from a few generations (or more) back would have to do with me, to whom exactly they apply - whatever that means - and where to start looking. At the same time, I’m going to open up an Ancestry.com account, as it seems these two topics are inextricably intertwined… like a queue-nowed :D

 

Thanks for any help anyone can offer. It’s great to see people keeping these traditions alive. I look forward to learning more and hopefully contributing to the conversation myself one day.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
Total Posts:  7658
Joined  08-06-2004
 
 
 
31 October 2013 16:08
 

David,

Welcome to the group.  Sounds like we can expect you to be a great addition!

 
arriano
 
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arriano
Total Posts:  1303
Joined  20-08-2004
 
 
 
31 October 2013 16:44
 

Welcome aboard!

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
Total Posts:  3535
Joined  24-05-2004
 
 
 
31 October 2013 17:50
 

Welcome!

As to your specific questions, a few comments/suggestions, in no particular order:

 

If you’re only a couple of generations in the US from England, tracing your link to "your" Cole family shouldn’t be too difficult—basically simple genealogy. However, if you’re looking to see if you might be entitled to existing arms for a family named Cole in England, this is the necessary first step.

 

Re: "Cole family coat of arms"—there may be any number of families named Cole (or maybe none) who already have their own coats of arms.  "Family" in heraldry refers to a particular lineage—i.e. actual descent from a common Cole ancestor who bore a particular coat of arms—not just same/similar surname.  Again, it’s an exercise in genealogy.  Different Cole families, if they bear arms at all, would each have their own distinct design.

 

As an American, however, you have the option to either bear your own family’s English arms (if any), or - if you can’t document descent from an English Cole armiger, or just prefer to start anew, to design new arms for yourself or your own Cole line here.

 

If you haven’t yet, you might want to read ( or re-read) our AHS "Best Practices" guidelines which are linked to our home page.

 

Enoughb lather for now - I’m in an internet cafe in Tonga & running out of minutes!

 
Jeffrey Boyd Garrison
 
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Jeffrey Boyd Garrison
Total Posts:  1006
Joined  10-03-2009
 
 
 
15 November 2013 18:09
 

Welcome David! :cheers: