Another strong proof that many of our otherwise incomprehensible signs have been derived from Heraldry, is to be found in the frequency with which the number _Three_ appears upon sign-boards. No less than 35 houses in Essex (having 15 distinct signs) are known as the _three_ somethings, while other numbers only occur 12 times in all. The following is a complete list: There are 3 TWO BREWERS, a FOUR ASHES, 2 FIVE BELLS, 3 SIX BELLS, and 4 EIGHT BELLS. Many of our Essex _Threes_ will be noticed hereafter. The list includes the signs of the THREE BLACKBIRDS, the THREE COLTS, the THREE COMPASSES, the THREE CROWNS, the THREE CUPS, the THREE HORSESHOES, the THREE PIGEONS, the THREE TUNS, and several others. Nor is this peculiarity confined to Essex signs only. In London the number Three gives twenty-nine distinct devices and sixty-five signs, including repetitions of the same device. All other numbers put together only give twenty-two distinct devices, or fifty-five signs. The author of a curious and interesting letter on the signs of Bury, which appeared in the _Bury and Norwich Post_ on June 29 and July 6, 1791, noticed this prevalence of the number Three on sign-boards in his day, and was, he says, “inclined to account for it from a kind of predilection there is among sign-painters to the number Three, as we see in the Three Horse Shoes, before mentioned, also in the Three Bulls, the Three Tuns, the Three Crowns, and the Three Goats’ Heads.” Now every one acquainted with Heraldry will know how very common it is to find _three_ charges of some kind or other upon an escutcheon, either alone or with an “ordinary” or some other charge between them, such as _Argent, three cinquefoils gules_ for D’Arcy, _Gules, three eagles displayed or_ for Band, _Gules, a fess between three bulls’ heads couped or_ for Torrel, &c., and there can be very little doubt that this striking abundance of the number three on our sign-boards is due, largely at least, to the frequent use of that number in Heraldry. It cannot be denied, however, that three was a favourite, or lucky, number long before the first appearance of the art of Heraldry. Messrs. Larwood and Hotten cite many instances of its use, even as far back as the time of the Assyrians and ancient Egyptians. But, in spite of this, there can be no reasonable doubt that many of our “_threes_” are derived directly from Heraldry; whilst others are probably derived from it indirectly. In the latter case the name has been bestowed recently upon his house by the landlord, because he knew it to be a very common custom to call a house the “_Three_ Somethings,” although of the origin of that custom he probably knew absolutely nothing. Essex examples of the former class are given above. Among those of the latter are probably our signs of the THREE ASHES, the THREE ELMS, the THREE JOLLY WHEELERS, and the THREE MARINERS.