1 Word in Heraldic Description of a Crest - need help deciphering

[Zacktyr]

Hello Rootschatters,

I have one word in an heraldic description of a crest on the coat of arms of Adam Darnell granted in 1566 that I have been unable to reconcile and am wondering if anyone may have the answer for me.

The crest is described in the grant as follows (with original spelling from 1566):

"I have given unto hym by waye of encrease for his creaste and Cognissaunce on a wreathe or  & azure a man of armes hedd the breste and face sharnue havynge on his lefte shoulder a polron thereon a scarfe gules mantelled gules doubled argent as more plainelie appearethe depicted in this margent..."

I have attached a screen shot of the text with the word "sharnue" or "sharnve" highlighted with yellow, and a screen shot of the crest.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

[HughC]

Burke's General Armory gives no such blazon for Darnel or Darnell,
but there are couple of families of Darrel or Darrell with crest

Out of a ducal coronet or, a Saracen's head couped at the shoulders proper, bearded sable, wreathed about the temples argent and azure, on the head a chapeau of the last, fretty of the third, tasselled gold, turned up ermine.

The word 'sharnue' would appear to be invented!
Certainly Complete Guide to Heraldry by Fox-Davies gives no clue as to what it might mean.

[manukarik]

I keep wondering if sharnue is charnue = plump or fleshy?

[Zacktyr]

Hello HughC

Thank you for taking a look at this for me.  I appreciate your time and input.

I've attached a screenshot of the name - highlighted in yellow - for this grant of coat of arms.  It's Adam Darnell of Thorneholme, Lincolnshire.  I found a reference to this coat of arms in an obscure text that indicated that the arms were in abeyance as of 1640, so never made it into any of the heraldry texts and references.  I have included a screenshot of the crest itself as it matches the description in the grant and I think manukarik has solved the word "sharnue".

This King of Arms used French terms throughout the grant - not many, but enough to indicate that he leaned on his knowledge of French for descriptions, e.g. he used "mollet" for 'mullet'.  The spelling throughout, of course, is very indicative of the era of its' creation, 1566.

Burke's General Armory gives no such blazon for Darnel or Darnell,
but there are couple of families of Darrel or Darrell with crest

Out of a ducal coronet or, a Saracen's head couped at the shoulders proper, bearded sable, wreathed about the temples argent and azure, on the head a chapeau of the last, fretty of the third, tasselled gold, turned up ermine.

The word 'sharnue' would appear to be invented!
Certainly Complete Guide to Heraldry by Fox-Davies gives no clue as to what it might mean.

[Zacktyr]

Hello manukarik,

Thank you for taking a look at this for me.  I appreciate your time and input and I think you've cracked it! 

This King of Arms did use French for a few of the words in the description, e.g. "mollet" for 'mullet', so I think that "charnue" would fit as the word, the spelling throughout being representative of the era, 1566. 

Certainly, the crest, as shown in my original post, shows a man who is full figured and not the typical sparse representation of a man in armour.  Yet, the crest description says "a man of arms".  So, I think the word "fleshy" perfectly describes this crest.

Thank you, again.

I keep wondering if sharnue is charnue = plump or fleshy?