Garter King-of-Arms and three other officers (York, Somerset and Bluemantle Pursuivant) were present at the Golden Jubilee Banquet of the Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society, which took place last Saturday at Clare College, Cambridge. To mark this milestone Garter has granted an augmentation to CUHAGS armorial bearings.
I have posted pictures from the event on my blog (alas I do not have a photo of the arms): http://www.bloggingyoungfogey.blogspot.com
Rafal - do you know the form of the augmentation?
With reference to the Golden Anniversary and Accession Banquet of the Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society that was held at Clare College on the evening of last Saturday (9th June).
Garter King of Arms along with Somerset Herald (the agent in the case) presented the Letters Patent of the society’s new grant of arms and crest (not augmentation) to the President, Monica Morrill. Although, for many years the society (like a great many other societies within the university) had made use of the university’s arms it was thought some time ago that the society should consider petitioning for its own arms. At first, it was thought a grant of a badge might suffice as the society was technically ‘dependant’ upon the university. Enquiries were made in this respect and it was decided that the society was independent of the university so could therefore petition for grant of armorial bearings in its own right. The time was now ripe. For the golden jubilee of the society was looming. So during the course of the last year, a committee was formed to consider the design of the proposed arms. At length, a pleasing design was chosen and approved by Garter and subsequently granted.
Although, I have not seen the blazon as I did not have a chance on the night to view the finished grant at first hand owing to the press of people attending. I believe the arms and crest may be blazoned (on the hoof so to speak) as follows:
Arms: Or a cross conjoined to a bordure pean between four lion’s faces gules langued azure
Crest: A demi lion guardant or langued azure holding in its dexter paw a crane’s leg erased a la quise gules feathered gold and resting its sinister paw upon a book its spine uppermost proper bound gules and garnished or.
Motto: ‘Caeruleus candidus vincit’ (loosely translated, I believe to be: ‘Let the light blues conquer’)
The use of the book, cross, lion’s faces and the demi lion reflect the university’s arms in some respect; whilst the use of the fur pean acts as a remembrance to the fact that this particular fur has been used as the society’s ‘colour’ for many a long year. The use of both or and sable also allude to the home of the society for its meetings: Clare College. The crane’s leg in the crest refers to the genealogical aspect of the society: from the French ‘pied de grue’, the origin of the word pedigree. The light blue as mentioned in the motto is the traditional ‘colour’ of the university as opposed to the dark blue of the other place (ie: Oxford).
Trusting that the foregoing is of assistance to the membership at large.
Yours aye,
John