Home | Heraldry | Family Crests
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The practice of bearing an individual coat of arms reaches back to the
12th century. In the confusion of battle, knights in armor could only
be identified by the markings on their defensive shields. Such markings were entrusted to officials known as Heralds, who created and recorded armorial bearings and regulated their allocation. The written records are technically known as 'blazons', and with each plaque supplied by House of Names a copy of the blazon and reference source is enclosed free of charge. Most blazons have three components: ARMS, CREST & MOTTO. In medieval times the arms were borne on the knight's defensive shield, the crest originating at a slightly later date as an adornment to his helmet, while mottoes often originated as a war cry. As the diagram explains, the arms are separate and distinct from the crest. All the wall shields display the arms, and a crest and motto are included, at no extra cost, where such exist, though please note that many of the older grants of arms predate the addition of such features. Enclosed with each wall plaque is a certificate of authenticity, giving details of the arms, crest, motto and reference source. A more detailed history of the surname and family origins is also available for an additional charge. Please note that while coats of arms are available for virtually all European nationalities, surname histories are confined to those names only of Irish or British origin, or which have a long-standing connection with Ireland such as Huguenot or Palatine names. |