A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
Woodward mentions three instances in which the lower edge of the canton is
"indented," one taken from the Calais Roll, viz. the arms of Sir William de
la Zouche--"Gules, bezantée, a canton indented at the bottom"--and adds
that the canton has been sometimes thought to indicate the square banner of
a knight-baronet, and he suggests that the lower edge being indented may
give some weight to the idea. As the canton does not appear to have either
previously or subsequently formed any part of the arms of Zouche, it is
possible that in this instance some {137} such meaning may have been
intended, but it can have no such application generally.
The "Canton of Ulster"--_i.e._ "Argent, a sinister hand couped at the wrist
gules"--is the badge of a baronet of England, Ireland, Great Britain, or
the United Kingdom. This badge may be borne upon a canton, dexter or
sinister, or upon an inescutcheon, at the pleasure of the wearer. There is
some little authority and more precedent for similarly treating the badge
of a Nova Scotian Baronet, but as such Baronets _wear_ their badges it is
more usually depicted below the shield, depending by the orange tawny
ribbon of their order.
THE GYRON
[Illustration: FIG. 208.--Gyronny.]
As a charge, the gyron (sometimes termed an esquire) is very seldom found,
but as a subdivision of the field, a coat "gyronny" (Fig. 208) is
constantly met with, all arms for the name of Campbell being gyronny. Save
in rare cases, a field gyronny is divided quarterly and then per saltire,
making eight divisions, but it may be gyronny of six, ten, twelve, or more
pieces, though such cases are seldom met with and always need to be
specified. The arms of Campbell of Succoth are gyronny of eight
_engrailed_, a most unusual circumstance. I know of no other instance of
the use of lines of partition in a gyronny field. The arms of Lanyon afford
an example of the gyron as a charge, as does also the well-known shield of
Mortimer (Fig. 209).
[Illustration: FIG. 209.--The arms of Roger Mortimer, Earl of March and
Ulster (d. 1398): Quarterly, 1 and 4, azure, three bars or (sometimes but
not so correctly quoted barry of six), on a chief of the first two pallets
between two base esquires of the second, over all an inescutcheon argent
(for Mortimer); 2 and 3, or, a cross gules (for Ulster). (From his seal.)]
THE INESCUTCHEON
The inescutcheon is a shield appearing as a charge upon the coat of arms.
Certain writers state that it is termed an inescutcheon if only one appears
as the charge, but that when more than one is present they are merely
termed escutcheons. This is an unnecessary refinement not officially
recognised or adhered to, though unconsciously one often is led to make
this distinction, which seems to spring naturally to one's mind. {138}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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