I’ve just added two new rolls of arms of famous Americans, in this case stretching the definition a bit.
The first is an explorers’ roll—both European explorers who visited the present day United States in the age of discovery as well as American explorers of the U.S. and the world beyond.
Arms of Juan Ponce de Leon:
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/uploads/Notable/ponce.gif
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Notable.Explorers?action=browse
The other is a founders’ roll, men who led the establishment of European colonies in the present U.S. and thus brought heraldry to our country, such as John White, governor of Raleigh’s Roanoke Island colony in modern North Carolina:
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/uploads/Notable/white1.gif
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Notable.Founders
Excellent. I don’t have illustrations of my own yet, but perhaps I could whip some together before you get around to it.
The arms of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, first proprietor of Maine and Edward Godfrey, first governor of Maine are featured on the arms of the Maine Historical Society. I go into it a little bit on my blog.
In a summer newsletter of 1986, the society published the history of the armorial design:
Quote:
At the heart is a shield, divided into four sections. At the upper left is a chevron taken from the seal used by Sir Ferdinando Gorges, first proprietor of Maine. Across are two stags’ heads separated by a crescent, from the seal used by Sir George Popham, early promoter of colonization. Below is the emblem of crosses borne by Edward Godfrey, first Governor of Maine. At lower left is the fleur-de-lis, signifying French attempts to colonize Maine.
Above is a scroll with four important dates: 1605, the first voyage to Maine; 1649, the first election of a governor by the people; 1678, usurpation of the Territory of Maine by the Government of Massachusetts; and 1820, Maine statehood. The pen behind the scroll indicates that the work of the historian is never completed.
I could look deeper to find tinctures.
I also have a list of potentially armigerous explorers of Maine on my blog here: http://www.jeremyhammond.net/archives/31
Jeremy Keith Hammond;100636 wrote:
Excellent. I don’t have illustrations of my own yet, but perhaps I could whip some together before you get around to it.
Excellent.
Quote:
The arms of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, first proprietor of Maine and Edward Godfrey, first governor of Maine are featured on the arms of the Maine Historical Society.
Both already in the REAA, but I think I want to re-draw Gorges. I’ll add one or both to the new founders roll—I should have said I decided to limit it to those who actually came here, which I don’t think Sir Ferdinando ever did, right?
Thanks.
Joseph McMillan;100641 wrote:
Both already in the REAA, but I think I want to re-draw Gorges.
Thanks.
Would it appear in both rolls? If not, how do you decide which roll to include arms that could qualify for either?
Jeremy Keith Hammond;100642 wrote:
Would it appear in both rolls? If not, how do you decide which roll to include arms that could qualify for either?
REAA is all-inclusive; the famous people rolls include both some in the REAA and others who wouldn’t qualify for the REAA (arms after 1825, people who only passed through rather than residing in the US for a prolonged period, etc).
Is there a known coat of arms for Friar Marcos de Niza? After he explored what is today New Mexico in 1539, he became the Franciscan Provincial Superior in Mexico in 1541. Do (did) the office of Provincial carry a coat of arms?
—Guy
Henry Hudson - Argent, semee of fleurs-de-lis Gules, a cross engrailed Sable
Pedro de Alvarado y Mesia - Or, in base barry wavy of four Azure and Argent, and five fleurs de lys posed in saltire of the Second
Gonzalo Jimenez de Queseda - Gules, four bastons Argent, each charged with six ermine spots Sable (possibly)
I’ve read that George Vancouver’s ancestral arms were Or, three eagles Gules, but I don’t know if he ever actually used them.
arriano;100649 wrote:
Henry Hudson - Argent, semee of fleurs-de-lis Gules, a cross engrailed Sable
Pedro de Alvarado y Mesia - Or, in base barry wavy of four Azure and Argent, and five fleurs de lys posed in saltire of the Second
Gonzalo Jimenez de Queseda - Gules, four bastons Argent, each charged with six ermine spots Sable (possibly)
I’ve read that George Vancouver’s ancestral arms were Or, three eagles Gules, but I don’t know if he ever actually used them.
Arian: Can you provide source citations?
Joseph McMillan;100650 wrote:
Arian: Can you provide source citations?
For Henry:
http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_00.htm
and
http://www.numericana.com/arms/more.htm
For Pedro and Gonzalo: http://pages.infinit.net/cerame/heraldicamerica/etudes/conquistadores.htm
For George, I’ll have to do a little digging to see if I can find where I read that bit.
Should Columbus be included since he "discovered" Puerto Rico?
Here’s where I found info about Vancouver’s ancestral arms. Again, I don’t know if he actually used them:
Everything I can find on Henry Hudson, including the site to which the numerica.com roll of arms links as the source of his arms, says that his ancestry is unknown, although the latter site proceeds to speculate a good bit, apparently on the basis of similarity of names. I don’t think we want to give credence to this kind of speculation.
Quesada doesn’t seem to have come to the present USA; the Santa Fe he established was the one now more commonly known as Bogota, Colombia.
Alvarado is a possibility for inclusion, although I’d tried to focus on the leaders of expeditions rather than second in commands.
Vancouver looks like a winner.
I’ve been treating Puerto Rico throughout all of this effort (REAA, for example) on the basis that it is not actually part of the United States, assuming that this is how Puerto Ricans want it. I’m open to counter-arguments.
Here’s a source that could be very helpful. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29549/m1/8/
Joseph McMillan;100664 wrote:
Quesada doesn’t seem to have come to the present USA; the Santa Fe he established was the one now more commonly known as Bogota, Colombia.
D’oh! OK, I’m embarassed by that one
Joseph McMillan;100664 wrote:
I’ve been treating Puerto Rico throughout all of this effort (REAA, for example) on the basis that it is not actually part of the United States, assuming that this is how Puerto Ricans want it. I’m open to counter-arguments.
Well, I’ve never heard of any Puerto Rican renouncing their American citizenship, but I’ve no dog in this fight.
arriano;100678 wrote:
I’ve no dog in this fight.
Nor I. I don’t want to split hairs about the legal status of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, but technically the island is not part of the United States but rather (in Spanish) a "free associated state," or as officially translated "commonwealth." Most telling, Puerto Ricans field their own separate teams in international sports competition, which I take to signify that while they are connected to the US, they don’t see themselves as part of the US.
So I figured I was just respecting that decision by not claiming their heraldry as part of ours, but if I’ve read the sentiment wrong, I’m happy to reverse field.
And Vancouver, on the explorers roll.
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/uploads/Notable/vancouver.gif
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=Notable.Explorers?action=browse
