Clan mottoes...

[macwilkin]

LK-13,

I take it you do know that this is not a clan's coat of arms, or that of a family name. It is meant to be used exclusively by it's owner. The coat of arms may contain the clan motto, but it isn't the clan's coat of arms.

There are a couple of posters that use what appears to be coats of arms for their avatars. I assume they either are the arm's owners or have the owner's permission to display them.

Thank you, Scott, for bringing this up. The clansman's badge (comonally known as a "clan badge") contains the crest from the arms of the Chief of a Clan, inside a buckle & strap with the clan motto on the strap.

Again, there are no such creatures as "family crests" or "family coat-of-arms".

Regards,

Todd

[LK-13]

removed because i was accused of flaming.

[LK-13]

removed because i was accused of flaming.

[macwilkin]

OK I'll post this publicly then:

not to dispute you,
but according to my Great Uncle Robert Shaw
(not the actor),
this Coat of Arms belongs to my family.

considering what you have said about an individual owning a specific coat of arms;
it is possible that this coat of arms has been passed down in our family.

i do have a faint memory of Uncle Robert saying something about a great great
(don't know how many generations back)
grandfather named Gladstone Shaw being the first to come to Canada;
and what I've posted is a illustration of the coat of arms he passed on to us.

unfortunately my Great Uncle Robert Shaw (not the actor) has passed on,
and i have not attended the family reunion in years.
so i have no way to check on this.

all i know is this coat of arms belongs to my family, and i will believe that until i see proof otherwise.

Wayne "LK-13" Shaw

Wayne,

The image of the arms may have been passed down through your family, but technically, under the customs of heraldry, arms belong to one person and one person only -- there are some exceptions to this in Europe, but in the heraldic customs of the British Isles, especially Scotland, arms belong to individuals only. Canada generally follows British heraldric customs.

The following web pages might be worth perusing:

http://www.gg.ca/heraldry/index_e.asp (Canadian Heraldic Authority)

http://www.heraldry.ca/top_en/top_misconceptions.htm (Royal Heraldry Society of Canada)

http://www.lyon-court.com (The Lyon Court)

http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/beginners.html (Heraldry Society of Scotland)

http://www.albanach.org/scotheraldry.html

Now, that's not to say that you can't be proud of your Great Uncle's arms, just that you cannot claim them as you own or your family's arms. Fortunately, you live in a nation with a Heraldic authority, so you can always apply for your own arms.

You might consult the Canadian Heraldic Authority and see if your uncle received a grant of arms from them; given the image, it appears that it was designed by a heraldic artist.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Todd

[gilmore]

Wayne,

The image of the arms may have been passed down through your family, but technically, under the customs of heraldry, arms belong to one person and one person only -- there are some exceptions to this in Europe, but in the heraldic customs of the British Isles, especially Scotland, arms belong to individuals only. Canada generally follows British heraldric customs.

The following web pages might be worth perusing:

http://www.gg.ca/heraldry/index_e.asp (Canadian Heraldic Authority)

http://www.heraldry.ca/top_en/top_misconceptions.htm (Royal Heraldry Society of Canada)

http://www.lyon-court.com (The Lyon Court)

http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/beginners.html (Heraldry Society of Scotland)

http://www.albanach.org/scotheraldry.html

Now, that's not to say that you can't be proud of your Great Uncle's arms, just that you cannot claim them as you own or your family's arms. Fortunately, you live in a nation with a Heraldic authority, so you can always apply for your own arms.

You might consult the Canadian Heraldic Authority and see if your uncle received a grant of arms from them; given the image, it appears that it was designed by a heraldic artist.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Todd

He might look into displaying them differenced, if he is not the owner, but a near relative. Perhaps one of the sites above will explain that.

[macwilkin]

He might look into displaying them differenced, if he is not the owner, but a near relative. Perhaps one of the sites above will explain that.

We'll leave that for the next lecture. One of the sites I mentioned will discuss differencing.

T.

[ardchoille77]

Don't forget the MacIntoshes

" Don't touch the cat without a glove"

[Raptor]

Gordon has 3

"Bydand" - Remaining, or Abiding

"Animo non Astutia" - By Courage not Craft

"An Gordonach!" - A Gordon! Probably the rallying cry.

Bydand is also regularly given as steadfast, but recent investigation by the Gordon Highlanders Regiment has produced the theory that Bydand is a contraction of the Old Scots "Byde and Fecht", which means "stand & fight". Totally believable when you look at clan history!

The wife's Johnston/e is "Nunquam Non Paratus" which means Never Unprepared, or "Vive Ut Postea Vivas" (Live, that you may live in the future) for the Caskieben Johnstons. The slogan is Ready, Aye, Ready! The other slogan is "Light thieves, all".

[Raptor]

The other branch of my family is Dyer (I will not intimidate & know not fear), from Clan Skene (A palace the reward of bravery)

[Mumbles]

Nicolson: "Generositate" Ive been told that the full motto is "with generosity not ferocity"