Hello, my name, as you already know, is Robert A. Blackard. I’m new to the world of Heraldry and I would love to learn more about the art of it. At the moment, I’m going to school for my BA in Human Services, so this will be a little hobby of mine, just like Photography. I always had an appreciation for Coat of Arms and they’re meaning behind them. How I understand, they are a form of identification of the individual and of families and how the Coat of Arms expresses them in a visual narrative.
After school, I would like to get my own Coat of Arms commissioned; the hard part is to understand who I am first. Funny question, I know. But how I see it is if the Coat of Arms is going to explain who I am, I want to make sure that I know who I am first. On top of that, I would like to get a new family Coat of Arms. I have found my “Family’s” Coat of Arms and paid for a print, kicking myself now, I wouldn’t have gotten one after learning how shops like that worked. Because of that I can say I have a better understanding of the rules of owning such a device. So, you can say that is another reason why I want to learn more about the history and art of Heraldry.
To show how much I already love Heraldry, I own “Discovering Heraldry” by Jacqueline Fearn, “Coat of Arms” by Andrew Stewart Jamieson, and “Heraldry: Customs, Rules and Styles” by Carl-Alexander von Volborth. I can say I’m a little over whelmed with the information I have already, but all in good time. I just hope I’m not getting over my head with it all. Fill free to message me about any Heraldry news or upcoming events.
Have a great day! :o
Robert A. Blackard.
Welcome Robert! I’m sure once you start poking around on here and reading many of the discussions on the board you will quickly begin to gain a better understanding of heraldy (that’s what happened with me!). I look forward to seeing you in the conversations.
There really is a lot to take in, and heraldry seems to be one of those subjects that you never stop learning new details about. I look forward to reading your posts in the future, and maybe assisting you an designing your own arms. Have you done any genealogy research on your paternal line to see if you are in fact entitled to an arms already? Might be a good thing to pursue if you are waiting to design an arms.
J. Stolarz;92652 wrote:
Have you done any genealogy research on your paternal line to see if you are in fact entitled to an arms already? Might be a good thing to pursue if you are waiting to design an arms.
I have, but only 100 years back and the information that I found was not helpful. But, it was nice to know that I have Scottish, English, German, Dutch, and Holland roots. :rofl: Can we say, Euro-American!
Robert Blackard;92654 wrote:
I have, but only 100 years back and the information that I found was not helpful. But, it was nice to know that I have Scottish, English, German, Dutch, and Holland roots. :rofl: Can we say, Euro-American!
Greetings Robert and welcome.
Going back a hundred years is a very good start! For your information, there was a James Blackard of Gloucestershire who was granted the Freedom of the City of London in 1688, and a William Francis Blackard who died in Virginia around 1678. It would appear your work here is cut out.
Welcome Robert.
Robert, welcome to AHS. If you haven’t already, you may want to check out the "Guidelines for Heraldic Practice…" on this web site:
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Guide.Guidelines
Oh I have, a little overwhelming, but i’ll get over it. LOL Thank you!
Welcome!—& congrats on wanting to know who you are (or who you will become) before chasing the phantom of the perfect coat of arms. All too often we see the passion for instant heraldic gratification, followed at some point by a sort of buyer’s remorse. "Blazon in haste, regret at leisure…"
Still, you can play around a bit just for the fun of it—and the educational value. You might also start to think about who & what you might want your eventual arms to symbolize—just you? your immediate family? an extended family group? Consciously or sub, that will affect your design process. No rush, just let that simmer on the back burner.
And when you’re ready, give us the chance to "play herald"—our great joy!
Michael F. McCartney;92694 wrote:
Welcome!—& congrats on wanting to know who you are (or who you will become) before chasing the phantom of the perfect coat of arms. All too often we see the passion for instant heraldic gratification, followed at some point by a sort of buyer’s remorse. "Blazon in haste, regret at leisure…"
Michael is 100% correct. My first set of arms are a perfect example. Take your time . . . . don’t rush the process. Read, question, ask, learn . . . . you won’t want to regret it!
Hello, Robert - I’m the local feminista and would encourage you to take a look at genealogy on BOTH sides of the family…
From Ancestry.com:
Blackard Name MeaningEnglish, Scottish, and northern Irish: of uncertain etymology: perhaps a derivative of the nickname black heart, or from blackguard, a Tudor term denoting a group of the lowest-class menials in a household.Perhaps also an altered spelling of German Blackert.
Welcome Robert!
The last part of Kathy’s selection of possible canting themes isn’t particularly edifying, but "Argent [or Or or whatever] a heart Sable" isn’t bad place to start! Or maybe "... [other stuff]... and on a chief/fess/pale/bend/cross/saltire/pile/bordure/etc Argent ["x" number] heart<strike> Sable."
Not that arms need to be canting—many aren’t—but it’s one possible point of departure.</strike>