Basics of Heraldry

Heraldry refers to the art and study of coats of arms, also known as armorial achievements or armorial bearings.  Although unique designs or decorations had been used throughout human history to distinguish one clan or tribe from another, heraldry really came into being after 1066AD, the year of the Norman Conquest of England.  Heraldry became a means of personal identification.

Armorial designs, coats of arms, were placed on shields or the surcoats of knights to allow them to be able to easily tell who they were attacking in battles or tournaments. As the knights’ faces would be covered completely by their helmets, it was vital that a man could distinguish friend from foe.  The frenetic, stressful activity of a tournament or battle would necessitate the development of easily recognizable symbols.  The coats of arms would also be displayed on banners or the bardings for horses.  Eventually, it became necessary to possess a coat of arms just to take part in a tournament, and came to denote the holder’s status as a noble.

Coats of arms were originally designed according to local custom, and depended on individual taste.  As time passed, however, rules were established concerning armorial achievements.   As such, the coat of arms was designed to certain specifications.  At the top of the coat of arms would be the motto (if any were chosen) contained in the motto design.  Below the motto was the crest and beneath that was the wreath.  The main part of the coat of arms was called the shield, and positioned right above the shield was a helmet.  The shield itself would contain various shield elements such as crowns or flowers or animals.  Rules governing the colors, or tinctures, used on the coat of arms were also formed.  The field, consisting of the shield itself, could be divided up to provide more individualization and familial information.  The mantling was supposed to be streamers of cloth that spilled from the wreath, and finally, the name of the family was placed below the shield.

Coats of arms would be granted to one individual and were inheritable by his male issue.  As the coats of arms were passed on, the new owner would often alter the design slightly.  This is known as cadency and referred to differences that arose as the sons (if there was more than one) would place their specific marks on the arms.  One of the symbols used in this case was one that denoted birth order.  Thus, coats of arms returned, in part, to their original function of identifying a particular family and person.  As time passed, more and more armorial achievements would be added to the original design, providing more clues to the background of a family. 

As new people married into families, the coats of arms of the newcomers were often added to the shield.  This helps to trace familial descent and is a great assistance to genealogical research.  This practice is called marshalling.  By tracing back the various crests, the genealogical researcher is able to go ever farther back into their family history.  One source will go back to another, and so on, often enabling the researcher to trace their family through hundreds of years.