Quote Originally Posted by MacLowlife View Post
Thanks for the fascinating links.


Among the signers is one armiger whose claim is described as "English grant olf 1768 to the signer and other descendants of his grandfather". In fact, I am a descendant of that same grandfather (though not of the signer) - along with several hundred living cousins. In additional fact, I have a ring bearing those arms, inherited from my great grandfather. Now that we are in the Heraldry forum, does this entitle me to bear those arms? My guess is that nothing in US law prohibits it, but my conviction is that dozens of others are more entitled.

Can we have a three minute explication of matriculation for Americans?
English armorial practice is a bit "looser" than Scottish. By the terms of the grant, as a descendant of the Grandfather of the grantee, you are an heir to the arms, provided you are a legitimate male line descendant. Basic English practice is that the arms may be borne and used by any such legitimate male line descendant, as the English law of arms passes the arms equally to all the heirs male.

In Scotland, only the senior male heir would be entitled to the undifferenced arms, whereas all others would matriculate suitably differenced arms. In England, the system of cadency is widely ignored because it becomes so cumbersome - the fourth son of a third son of a second son would bear the arms with a martlet on a molet on a crescent (a bird on a star on a crescent). Over a number of generations, this gets to be, well, silly.

You can petition the College of Arms for confirmation that you are entitled to the arms, by registering your pedigree with the college. In order to do this, you have to call or write the College and consult with the Officer in Waiting, who can help you gather the necessary paperwork. Provided, though, that you are entitled to the arms, the pedigree registration is not required - it's just a step you can take if you want to be able to prove your entitlement.