Bulk of Arms Completed

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
Total Posts:  7658
Joined  08-06-2004
 
 
 
23 January 2007 13:39
 

Donnchadh wrote:

But, why wouldn’t Lyon accept the core of the arms as is and change only the style of helm or supporters or noble coronet etc when such a case comes before him?


Actually, I think the present Lord Lyon is pretty accommodating of petitioners’ wishes.  My guess is that he would only change the basic arms if there were a case of duplication (or excessive closeness of design).  For example, the Scottish system of designing arms as variations on the arms of the "chief of the name" could require some redesign work if a Spaniard named Ortega tried to matriculate, say, "Or a fess checky Azure and Argent between three fleurs-de-lis Gules."  This would look, in Scottish terms, as a differenced version of the stem arms of Stewart.  It’s also not done in Scotland to use the double tressure from the royal arms except as an augmentation, or to use "Azure a saltire Argent" except in connection with some kind of national institution.  But I think Lyon Blair would be likely to go along with anything that didn’t raise these kinds of problem.

 

But I realize you were using Lyon as an example.  The cases I’ve heard about seem to come from England.  I don’t know how the current kings of arms operate, but I’ve heard of an English person whose family had been using the same arms for something like 300 years without a grant or confirmation.  His father went to the College some years ago to regularize the situation by having the arms granted to him, and basically out of spite the college gave him something completely different.  And oh by the way charged him several thousand pounds for the slap in the face.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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23 January 2007 19:42
 

i can see Lyon’s reasons in that case, which i had not really thought of before. thanks.

regarding the English CoA example this is so what i’m talking about. a 300 year family history of use is noting to be snubbed easily IMHO. if so that does seems like a complete slap in the face - especially since the amount paid for a grant is so large! but, that’s just me and again who am i to complain how they do things there really… i do know this is why i’d never seek a grant of my arms from Ulster King, which at one time i had thought about believe it or not…of course it would’ve come far after getting out of school again… i can say the same of the CHoI. wink