The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 3 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
To this the plaintiff rejoined, that there was then no such public
record extant in the Office of Arms, or Marshal’s Court, that
appropriated any such bearing to this name or family of Carmenow,
neither was the Provincial Herald called Clarencieux, for granting
arms and recording the descents of private gentlemen for the
south-west part of England, instituted but just before this action;
and therefore, if the said Ralph Carmenow, or his ancestors, gave
those arms, they were only personal badges or devices that terminated
with their lives, and could not be hereditary or descend to posterity.
And further it was alleged that in case Carmenow’s ancestor lived at
Carmenow before the Norman Conquest, those arms could not be
appropriated to him by the name of de Carmenow, for it was not the
custom of the Britons till about a hundred years after, to style
themselves from local places with the Latin pronoun or particle, De,
after the manner of the French. But before were generally
distinguished by the names John Mac Richard, Richard Mac Thomas,
Robert ap Ralph, &c. that is to say the son of Thomas, Robert, and
Ralph, according to their lineal descents.
Whereupon, after a full view and hearing of what could be said and
shown on either part, by learned council as to records, manuscripts,
deeds and pedigrees, the Earl Marshal, in Westminster Hall, gave
judgment for the plaintiff; and the definitive sentence was afterwards
made and signed with the public seal of that Court, and read in open
audience; and orders given to the Sub-Marshal to put the same in
execution; which was, that Carmenow should never more give the arms
aforesaid without a label of three points Gules for a distinction;
when accordingly the same was first entered of record in Clarencieux,
or the Provincial Herald’s books, as the subsequent hereditary coat
armour of his family, (and as tradition saith Carmenow paid costs,)
which rule was ever after by those gentlemen observed in their
bearings.
And though Carmenow’s friends pleased themselves in this distinction
of a label, because given by the Emperor of Rome’s son and heir whilst
his father was alive; and for that it is the mark or cognizance of the
eldest son and heir of a family of the greatest degree; yet it is
manifest Carmenow himself was so distasted therewith, that he chose
for the motto of this new bearing arms, a Cornish sentence which
abundantly expressed his dislike thereof: Cala rag Ger da, id est, a
straw for fame, or breath.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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