Coat of Arms?

[Brant81uk]

Where is the best place to find your Coat of Arms and family Crests? Been meaning to ask that question for a while.

Thanks

[dawnsh]

Hi Brant

There's the College of Arms here

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/

or have you seen a stand at a show selling a coat of arms for your surname?

They are 2 completely different things.

Dawn

[behindthefrogs]

Where is the best place to find your Coat of Arms and family Crests? Been meaning to ask that question for a while.

Thanks

What makes you think that you have a coat of arms?  They belong to individuals not families or surnames.  Don't fall for the commercial hype of these companies trying to sell you someone else's coat of arms.

[Brant81uk]

Hi Dawn,

I have never seen a coat of arms for Brant so was wondering if there my family name had one? or even some kinf of Crest?

I worked at Much Marcle Church in Herefordshire and the Kyrle family had there Coat of Arms on the Staind glass windows, so was thinking if my name had one also.

Thanks for the link.

[behindthefrogs]

There is a crest for a Brant in Fairbairn's Crests which is a golden lion passant.  No other details are shown.

Note that this is the description of the crest which sits on top of the helmet in a coat of arms.  This proves that there was a Brant somewhere in the UK who had a coat of arms.

David

[Brant81uk]

Thanks David,

I have no idea what or how Coats of Arms came to be. So thank you for clearing that up for me. Thats why I thought I would ask as I don't know or have a clue.

So people with Coats of Arms, were they usually military?

[behindthefrogs]

Originally Coats of Arms belonged to knights and peers and were displayed on their shields during jousting with the crests worn on their helmets.

Anyone who is knighted is usually granted a coat of arms and many gentlemen also have them.  Once a member of a family has been granted a coat of arms it is passed down through the eldest sons although other sons can apply to the College of Arms for a slightly different coat of arms.  In theory anyone can apply to them for their own coat of arms.

There are strict rules as to how a shield is made up and understanding the shield, the crest, and the type of helmet reveals a lot of information about the hereditary of the the individual. 

You really need to borow a book from the library to understand what is a complicated subject.

David

[Temic]

Further to what David's said, usually if you aren't aware of a coat of arms being granted to an individual in your family, then it's more than likely that your particular family was never granted arms as it's not the sort of thing that's completely forgotten.

[Brant81uk]

Hi Temic,

My grandad broke ties with his dad when he was only 16 in the 40's. We only know what we know about the Brant family from the research I have done through Ancestry etc.

We never knew my Grandad had Aunties or that his dad was 1 of about 10 children.

So Coats of Arms is something I wouldn't know unless I can find living cousins who can possibly answer these questions for me...