As I am new to this Society and forum I’m not sure if this is the place for this post or if I have the procedure right, but I’m sure I will be corrected if I have it wrong.
I am very seriously thinking about Arms in memory of my late Birth Mother, Kay Sayer nee Bailey. Kay was an only child and a Nurse her entire working life in Australia and also nursed in Khartoum in The Sudan in the 1950’s and 60’s during the civil war as well as the Solomon Islands. She finished her career as the Director of Nursing at a Sydney Hospital, and was the secretary of several organizations over a period of years.
The Arms I have initially devised can be Blazoned as follows
Arms: Argent five Maltese Crosses Azure in Saltire
Crest: on a mound a Secretary Bird Vert charged with an eight pointed estoile Or supporting with the dexter foot a Maltese Cross Azure.
My reasoning for the design is as follows:
In the Arms Argent and Azure represent Nursing as do the Maltese Crosses. The five crosses in saltire represent Australia as a stylized Southern Cross.
In the Crest the Secretary Bird represents both the Sudan and her secretarial activities, the Maltese cross for nursing and the estoile, and Vert and Or for Australia
All comments and suggestions welcome
Cheers
Jeff
Jeff, that’s a very interesting blazon. While I have not found it already in use, I can’t imagine that it would not be ... somewhere. It’s just too simple to have been overlooked. But who knows? It may have been overlooked just because of its simplicity.
Oh ... I think the blazon should be: " ... five Maltese crosses in saltire azure." The color always comes last, after all.
I would suggest that you also check out "five crosses formee" and/or "five crosses pattee" as that would describe the same thing, or a thing so similar as to appear identical. Keep in mind that the fact that you’re describing them "in saltire" does not really make much of a difference. Five crosses formee (or pattee, or formy or patty) without the saltire descriptor could easily be emblazoned in saltire and probably would be. Also check five crosses two one and two and whatever other descriptors you can think of that would conceivably render the same design.
I could be wrong, Patrick, but I think the default for five Xs is three and two, though you are correct that someone might arrange them in Saltire and still not inherently "change" the arms.
I do like the design, though, Jeff.
Kenneth Mansfield;69718 wrote:
I could be wrong, Patrick, but I think the default for five Xs is three and two, though you are correct that someone might arrange them in Saltire and still not inherently "change" the arms.
I do like the design, though, Jeff.
Ken, I believe you are correct. 3 and 2 are standard for 5 things not otherwise described. But (as you also mentioned) they could be arranged in saltire without changing the blazon (which was actually my point). As we’re in the member section, I might also suggest semee of crosses pattee with a more personal main charge.
Patrick Williams;69712 wrote:
It’s just too simple to have been overlooked. But who knows? It may have been overlooked just because of its simplicity.
I suspect that this and other arrangements of Maltese cross has been avoided for centuries out of respect for the Order of Malta.
David,
Do you see a problem with this even though the crosses are blue on white rather than white on red? Actually, I would have thought the greater danger would be a perceived allusion to the badge of Queensland, especially in the arms of an Australian.
http://www.beluba.com.au/ww3/images/qld_badge.gif
(FWIW, the Yale School of Nursing uses the Maltese cross on a black field as a symbol of the profession—Sable a Maltese cross Argent, on a chief Azure an open book inscribed in Hebrew letters "Urim" and "Thummim" proper.)
Thank you for the replies so far, I will try to address them in order
Patrick,
yep I got the blazon wrong, Azure should be last, the closest I found so far is Arg. five crosses crosslet in saltire Gules for Cross or Sable for Thoroughgood, and the crosses bottony for Thorwgood, and Azure five crosses crosslet in saltire Or for Syms.
I think the Maltese Cross is quite distinct from paty or formy which I agree are the same
David,
you may be right re the Order of St John, but they had one cross not five and I have found at least one argent & gules blazon above.
Joseph,
I don’t think it would be confused with Queensland but I had not thought of that. The Sable & Argent representation is very much a St John representation here
Much food for thought, I thank you all
Cheers
Jeff
