In Scotland the bearing of arms began around the same time period as in other feudal lands and for a long time followed a procedure similar to that elsewhere. The King instituted his own Heralds, usually giving the duty of Herald to the Royal Bard or Sennachie ( Gaelic for storyteller). The title Lyon is derived from the lion of Scotland who is seen in the Scottish royal arms ( see below). In a troubled land like Scotland where conspiracy was always simmering, and the Stuart Kings met with violent ends or led wretched lives, it is not surprising that no Visitations are recorded. Yet in Scotland the practice of Heraldry was to be put upon a firmer foundation than...
Heraldry in Scotland is practiced very differently to elsewhere in the British Isles. Whereas there has been for hundreds of years a state of heraldic lawlessness in England, the Scotsman knows perfectly well that he must abide by the strictly enforced laws of Heraldry. Since time immemorial Heraldry in Scotland has been overseen by the Lord Lyon of Arms. Nobody knows exactly when this office dates from but it has it’s origin in the Scottish sennachie’s, royal bards or storytellers of Scottish King’s which predated the practice of Heraldry. The Lord Lyon, the equivalent of the Garter King of Arms in England, derives his office and functions from the High Sennachie whose duty it was to recite at the Coronation...
IBBETSON-CAYGILL COAT OF ARMS Nobility existed in Wales from an ancient period well before Coats of Arms came into use. A Welshman’s status depended on his gentility of blood, in being descended from one of the ancient Prince-Chiefs, or lesser Chiefs, of one of the Welsh principalities. Heraldically the Welsh came under the jurisdiction of the English College of Arms in London, but in former days it was the practice for an English Herald when making a Visitation which took in part of Wales to appoint a Welsh deputy. Lewis Dwnn was probably the most celebrated of these and...
When we look at Heraldry in Wales, we see a system that is not unlike that of the highlanders of Scotland. We have, first of all, a preexisting Celtic nation, divided into tribes, but each with their chiefs and gentry, and basing their gentility on their descent from ancient noble ancestors. Impinging on this culture came the settlement of Anglo-Normans in the 11th and 12th centuries many of whom became absorbed by the native civilization. References often occur in old family histories to the Welsh Heralds, but in fact no such body ever existed. Wales was annexed to England in 1284, and from 1542 was made part of England from a legislative point of view. While the British Royal arms...
The supposedly learned and educated class of the 17th and 18th century had such a poor opinion of the Middle Ages that it may have been expected that Heraldry , deprived of several of its former supporters, might fall into disrepair. This disrepair was perfectly illustrated by the terrible style in which Coats of Arms were produced during this time period. One prominent example of this is the dreadful Coat of Arms granted to Admiral Nelson. Admiral Nelson’s career is symbolized on his shield. The Nelsons were an ancient family, and the original Coat of Arms was simply a single black cross on a gold field with a red diagonal line: Or a cross sable, overall a bend gules....
