Cornish heraldry is the form of
coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
and other
heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
bearings and insignia used in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, United Kingdom. While similar to
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Scottish and
Welsh heraldry
Heraldry in Wales has a tradition distinct from that of English and Scottish heraldry. There is evidence that heraldry was already being used in Wales by the middle of the thirteenth century; for instance, in Gwynedd, two sons of Llywelyn the Gre ...
, Cornish heraldry has its own distinctive features. Cornish heraldry typically makes use of the
tinctures
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemis ...
''sable'' (black) and ''or'' (gold), and also uses certain creatures like
Cornish chough
The red-billed chough, Cornish chough or simply chough ( ; ''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus '' Pyrrhocorax''. Its eight subspecies breed on mountains and coastal cliffs from the w ...
s. It also uses the
Cornish language
Cornish (Standard Written Form: or ) , is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a List of revived languages, revived language, having become Extinct language, extinct as a livin ...
extensively for mottoes and
canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus.
French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial allus ...
.
Officials and law
Carminow v. Scrope
![Azure, a bend Or](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Azure%2C_a_bend_Or.svg)
One of the earliest heraldic law cases brought in England was the 1389 case of
Scrope v. Grosvenor
''Scrope v Grosvenor'' (1389) was an early intellectual property lawsuit, specifically regarding the law of arms. One of the earliest heraldic cases brought in England, the case resulted from two different knights in King Richard II's servi ...
. Scrope had found Grosvenor using the same arms as him, ''Azure a bend or'', and set out to prove his sole right to use them. In heraldic law no two unrelated families in the same country are permitted to bear the same arms. Following a long court case it was decided that Scrope had the right to the arms and Grosvenor was forced to change his arms to ''Azure a garb or''. It became known however that a Cornish knight by the name of Carminow was also using the disputed arms.
Carminow, seeing Scrope's use of his arms, challenged the right of Scrope to bear the arms. In this case, the constable of England declared that both claimants had established their right to the arms. Carminow had proven that his family had borne the arms "from the time of
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
", while the Scrope family had only used the arms "from the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
of England". (Neither of these claims to such antiquity were in fact possible as the era of heraldry did not start until the late 12th century). The two families were, however, considered of different heraldic nations, Scrope of England, Carminow of Cornwall, and as such could both bear the same arms. As stated in the records of the case, Cornwall was in effect deemed a separate nation, "a large land formerly bearing the name of a kingdom."
John Vivian and Henry Drake, in their preface to the ''
Visitation of the County of Cornwall'', commented as follows: "Cornwall may be considered pre-eminent in the antiquity of its family heraldry, since it was admitted in court during the memorable Scrope and Grosvenor controversy that the same arms, ''Azure a bend or'', had remained in the family of Carminow from King Arthur."
Officials
There are few recorded instances of heraldic officials in the Cornish tradition, however,
herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
s may commonly have been employed in Cornwall primarily as minstrels and story tellers. The
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
ist John Hilton was appointed by King
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
as ''
Cornwall Herald'' in 1398 at about the time of the Carminow case. A ''Cornwall Herald'' attended the coronation of
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
in 1413 and there was a ''Cornwall Herald'' at the
battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
who, with the
Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...
, was too ill to take part. During the reigns of
Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
and
Henry VII the March herald was ''
King of Arms
King of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings and sometimes certify genealogies and noble titles. In other traditions, the power has been de ...
'' of the west parts of England, Wales and Cornwall. Only one Cornish family is known to have had its own heraldic officer: Sir Richard Nanfan,
Lord Deputy of Calais
The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais (Castle ...
in 1503, retained a pursuivant or junior herald named Serreshal, but there may have been others.
Heraldic law
Cornish heraldry generally conformed with the rules and customs of English heraldry, and therefore with the Gallo-British tradition. However, the use of arms was far more widespread amongst the Cornish than the English and there was far less control over the use of heraldry. The antiquary
Richard Carew wrote in the early 17th century, "The Cornish appear to change and diversify their arms at pleasure...The most Cornish gentlemen can better vaunt of their pedigree than their livelihood for that they derive from great antiquity, and I make question whether any shire in England of but equal quantitie can muster a like number of faire coate-armours".
[Richard Carew, Survey of Cornwall, 1602] Jewers in his ''Heraldic church notes from Cornwall'', c. 1860-80, mentions the large number of landowners using arms never registered with the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
in London. Every large farm or barton in Cornwall housed its own "Gentleman of Coat Armour".
Historically
primogeniture
Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...
, the inheritance by the eldest son of the family estate, was not commonly practised in Cornwall. Amongst the Cornish, lands commonly were divided equally amongst all sons which resulted in smaller broken up estates, and if no sons existed lands were divided between daughters or closest relatives, male or female. This practice may have influenced the working and development of the Cornish tradition of heraldry. When primogeniture was practised, younger brothers were often married to an heiress. The heiress's arms were then adopted by the husband in place of his own family's.
Duchy of Cornwall
![Flag of the Duke of Cornwall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Flag_of_the_Duke_of_Cornwall.svg)
The Duchy of Cornwall was created in 1337 from the former
earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
dom of Cornwall. The first Duke was
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, su ...
(1330-1376) who first used the
badge
A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fi ...
of ''
Three ostrich feathers''.
Fox-Davies states that the badge associated with the Duchy is that of the Black Bull, often termed "of Clarence". Nevertheless, the Duchy is closely associated with the badge of the plume of feathers. The Black Prince erected a sculpted plume of feathers at the apex of the
Duchy Palace roof at
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel (; kw, Lostwydhyel) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 c ...
when he paid his first visit there and to
Restormel Castle
Restormel Castle ( kw, Kastel Rostorrmel) lies by the River Fowey near Lostwithiel in Cornwall, England, UK. It is one of the four chief Norman castles of Cornwall, the others being Launceston, Tintagel and Trematon. The castle is notable for ...
in 1353.
The arms of the Duchy are blazoned ''sable, fifteen
bezant
In the Middle Ages, the term bezant (Old French ''besant'', from Latin ''bizantius aureus'') was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, all derived ultimately from the Roman ''solidus''. The word itself comes from th ...
s''. These arms were designed in the 15th century, based on the arms of
Richard, Earl of Cornwall
Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was an English prince who was King of the Romans from 1257 until his death in 1272. He was the second son of John, King of England, and Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. Richard was nominal Count of Po ...
(1209-1272). A good explanation of the emblem of Cornwall is given by A. Fox-Davies in his “Book of Public Arms”: «In the days of the earlier Plantagenets, the pawnbrokers of Cornwall were the most enterprising and prosperous merchants in all England. When King John desired to hypothecate his crown jewels to raise money for a war in France, five of the principal "uncles" of Cornwall - Ben Levi of Truro, Ben Ezra of Penzance, Moses of Megavissey, (the other two names are illegible, see Manuscript CXLIX, British Museum) - formed an association, the Ancient and Honourable Association of Pawnbrokers, to take over his debts. The ‘trade-mark’ of the company was fifteen balls with the motto "One and All" to indicate that no business could be arranged without a quorum of all five members. When Edward I ascended the throne, this association was the most powerful in Cornwall. That Prince, following out his usual policy of exalting the merchant class, chose the trade-mark of the Ancient and Honourable Association of Pawnbrokers to be the coat-of-arms of the county of Cornwall.» Further information on the subject will be found in ‘An Ancyent and Ynterestyng Account of Ye Cornish Arms,’ of which there is a copy in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
.
The arms are today used as a
badge
A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fi ...
by
Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and they appear below the shield in his
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
. The
supporters
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the Escutcheon (heraldry), shield and depicted holding it up.
Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. H ...
used with the badge are two
Cornish chough
The red-billed chough, Cornish chough or simply chough ( ; ''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus '' Pyrrhocorax''. Its eight subspecies breed on mountains and coastal cliffs from the w ...
s, each holding an ostrich feather, and the motto is ''Houmout'' (meaning "high-spirited") the personal motto of the Black Prince.
Duke of Cornwall
''For further reading;
Coat of arms of the Prince of Wales
The coat of arms of the Prince of Wales is the official heraldic insignia of the Prince of Wales, a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, formerly th ...
''
Cornish Symbolism
![Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax -Penwith -Cornwall -flying-8b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Pyrrhocorax_pyrrhocorax_-Penwith_-Cornwall_-flying-8b.jpg)
There are several charges and
tinctures
A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemis ...
(colourings) used frequently in Cornish heraldry. These are derived mainly from Cornish royal and national symbolism.
Common charges
*
Chough
There are two species of passerine birds commonly called chough ( ) that constitute the genus ''Pyrrhocorax'' of the Corvidae (crow) family of birds. These are the red-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), and the Alpine chough (or yellow- ...
: the Cornish Chough, Cornwall's national bird, is very widely used in Cornish heraldry.
![KilligrewArms](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/KilligrewArms.PNG)
*
Double-headed eagle
In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge (heraldry), charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantin ...
: eagles with two heads occur prominently in several Cornish arms, in contrast to the rest of Britain where they are rare. The popularity of this form of eagle is probably due to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, who bore such an eagle in his role as
King of the Romans
King of the Romans ( la, Rex Romanorum; german: König der Römer) was the title used by the king of Germany following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward.
The title originally referred to any German k ...
.
*
Bezant
In the Middle Ages, the term bezant (Old French ''besant'', from Latin ''bizantius aureus'') was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, all derived ultimately from the Roman ''solidus''. The word itself comes from th ...
s: Lower describes how Cornish families took the bezant from the arms of the ancient earls of Cornwall, "this coat is pretended to from Cadock or Cradock earl of Cornwall in the fifth century". The bezant in fact derives from the arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall.
*
Rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
: the rose is an extremely common charge in Cornish heraldry, thought by Lower to originate in the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
. William Smith Ellis thought it might have been derived from an unknown Anglo-Norman family in Cornwall using it as an emblem and passing it on to their supporters. It is more likely, however, to derive from the Cornish placename element ''ros'' meaning a promontory or heathland, or ''res'', a ford, Cornish gentry often using the name of their major estate as a surname. It is used by the family of
Boscawen originally from Boscawen Rose.
Mottoes
Many Cornish families from ancient times bore mottoes in the
Cornish language
Cornish (Standard Written Form: or ) , is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a List of revived languages, revived language, having become Extinct language, extinct as a livin ...
, many of which were recorded in the 17th century. The practice of using Cornish language mottoes continues to this day. Examples include:
Familial examples
*Vaughan - ''Asgre lan dyogel ey pherchen'' (A good conscience is the best shield)
*Carminow - ''Cala rag whethlow'' (A straw for the talebearer)
*Glynn - ''Dre weres agan Dew ny'' (By the help of our God)
*Truscott and Gay - ''Gwir yn erbyn y byd'' (the truth against the world)
*Polwhele - ''Karenza wheelas Karenza'' (Love seeks out love)
*Tonkin - ''Kensol tra Tonkyn, ouna Dew mathern yn'' (Before all things Tonkin, fear God in the King)
*Williams - ''Meor vas tha dew'' (Gracious is thy God)
*Polkinghorne - ''Rag Matern a pow'' (For King and Country)
*Bolitho - ''Re deu'' (By God)
*Ruddle - ''Ruthek ha yagh'' (Ruddy and hearty)
*Tremenheere - ''Thrugscryssough ne Deu a nef'' (Do not disbelieve in God of Heaven)
*Tonkin - ''Yn ton kyn nyjyaf'' (In a wave I swim)
*Godolphin - ''Frank ha leal ettoga'' (Free and Loyal Forever) and ''Franc ha leal atho ve'' (Free and Loyal Am I)
*Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth, Boscawen -''Bosco, Pasco, Karenza Venza'' (
canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus.
French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial allus ...
of unknown meaning, however ''Karensa a vynsa, covaytys ny vynsa'' (Love would, greed wouldn't) is a Cornish saying)
*Harris of Keneggy - ''Car Deu reyz pub tra'' (Love God above all)
*Noye of St Buryan - ''Teg yw hedhwch'' (Fair is peace)
*Gwavas - ''En Hav perkou Gwav'' (In summer remember winter)
*Sloggett of Tresloggett - ''Bethoh Dur'' (Be Bold)
*Harvey - ''Arva hep arveth'' (To arm without aggression)
*Tangye - ''Tangy an dorgallow''
*
Southcott - ''Nerth Dre Lelder'' (Strength Through Loyalty)
*Trenear-Harvey - "Harth mes Len" (Boldly but sincerely)
*Treen - ''A-barth an myghtern'' (For the King)
Corporate examples
![Arms of Cornwall Council](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Arms_of_Cornwall_Council.svg)
*Cornish Guild of Heralds - ''Tyr ha Tylu'' (Land and Family)
*
Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council ( kw, Konsel Kernow) is the unitary authority for Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own unitary council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition o ...
- ''Onen hag Oll'' (One and All)
*Old Cornwall societies - ''Myghtern Arthur nyns yu marrow'' (King Arthur is not dead)
*
Federation of Old Cornwall Societies
The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies (FOCS) was formed in 1924, on the initiative of Robert Morton Nance, with the objective of collecting and maintaining "all those ancient things that make the spirit of Cornwall — its traditions, its old ...
- ''Kyntelleugh an brewyon es gesys na vo kellys travyth'' (Gather ye the fragments that are left, that nothing be lost)
*
Gorseth Kernow
Gorsedh Kernow (Cornish Gorsedd) is a non-political Cornish organisation, based in Cornwall, United Kingdom, which exists to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall. It is based on the Welsh-based Gorsedd, which was founded by Iolo Mor ...
- ''An gwyr erbyn an bys'' (The truth against the world)
[W. H. Pascoe, ''A Cornish Armory'', 1979][D. Endean Ivall, ''Cornish Heraldry and Symbolism'', 1988]
List of Cornish Arms
A
B
C
E
F
G
H
K
M
P
R
S
T
V
W
Canting arms
As in other heraldic traditions,
canting
' (IPA: , VOS Spelling: ''tjanting'', jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦛꦶꦁ, Tjanting) is a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax ( jv, ) in the batik-making process in Indonesia, more precisely '' batik tulis'' (lit. "written batik"). Traditional ''T ...
, punning on the surname, is frequently used in Cornish heraldry. Often this uses the Cornish language, suggesting it was considered a high status language. These may not reflect the true origin of the name. Examples include:
*Rose. Use is made of the rose as a charge for surnames containing ''ros'' and in mottoes can be a cant in English (''rose'') or Cornish (''rosen'', Cornish for rose).
*Cleather (Cornish - , a sword) - ''Vert, a chevron between three swords pointed downwards Or.''
*Keigwyn (Cornish - , a white dog) - ''Vert, a chevron between three greyhounds courant Argent''
*Trembleth (Cornish - , a wolf) - ''Sable, a wolf passant Argent''
*Gregor (Cornish - , partridge, lit. heather-hen) - ''Argent, a chevron Gules between three partridges proper.''
*Molenick (Cornish - , a goldfinch or greenfinch) - ''Argent, a chevron Sable between three goldfinches proper.''
*Treen - ''Per chevron embattled Or and Vert, in chief two oak trees and in base a garb counterchanged:'' the trees make an English pun on the name.
*Trenethyn (Cornish - , a bird) - ''Argent, a Cornish Chough Sable''
*Treweek (Cornish - , sweet) - ''Argent, a beehive surrounded with bees volant proper.''
*Trevisa (Cornish - , corn) - ''Gules, a garb Or.''
*Harvey (Cornish - , arable land, ''harve'', to harrow) - ''Argent, a chevron between three harrows Sable''
*Whetter (Cornish - , blower) - ''Argent, a bellows between two garbs proper.''
*Andean/Endean (Cornish - , the man) - ''Gules, a man statant naked proper holding in the dexter hand a cross fitchee Or, and in the sinister hand a sword Argent''
*Penderill (Cornish - , oak trees) - ''Argent, on a mount an oak tree Vert, over all a fesse Purpure charged with three royal crowns Argent''
*Penarth (Cornish - , bear head) - ''Argent, a chevron between three bears' heads erased Sable muzzled Or.''
*Penwyn (Cornish - , white head) - ''Gules, three boars' heads erased in pale Argent''
*Penberthy (Cornish - , head bushes) - ''Argent, two choughs heads above a gorse bush proper.''
*Gwyn (Cornish - , white) - ''Per pale Azure and Gules, three lions rampant Argent''
*Pellavere/Pellover/Pellower/Pellor/Pellow (Cornish - , gold ball) - ''Sable, a chevron Or between three bezants.''
* Trenear - Three Cornish Choughs near to each other: 'Three Near'
Supporters and crests
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the Escutcheon (heraldry), shield and depicted holding it up.
Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. H ...
are figures usually placed on either side of the
escutcheon which hold it up-right. In British heraldry, the use of supporters is restricted to peers, royalty,
Scottish barons and chiefs of clans. However a number of Cornish families, such as the Carminows and the Trevanions, do possess supporters, despite not being of noble rank as required in Scottish or English heraldry. The Carminows use:
dexter
Dexter may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003
* Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...
, ''A pelican'' and
sinister
Sinister commonly refers to:
* Evil
* Ominous
Sinister may also refer to:
Left side
* Sinister, Latin for the direction " left"
* Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see ...
, ''A Cornish chough''. The Trevanions: dexter, ''A stag'', sinister ''A lion''. The Trevelyan family had ''Two dolphins proper'' as their supporters. Treffry had ''A man and a woman'' as supporters The St Legers of Cornwall used ''A wingless griffin.'' The office of
Lord Warden of the Stannaries
The Lord Warden of the Stannaries (from la, stannum for Tin, Sn) used to exercise judicial and military functions in Cornwall, England, and is still the official who, upon the commission of the monarch or Duke of Cornwall for the time being, h ...
gave entitlement to the use of supporters.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
, Lord Warden of the Stannaries 1584-1603, used ''Two wolves'' as his supporters from 1584 onwards.
Mythology
Attributed arms
![Blason de la famille de saint-pezran](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Blason_de_la_famille_de_saint-pezran.svg)
* The heraldic achievements of the Vyvyan and Trevelyan families both reflect claims that they were descended from the only survivor of the destruction of
Lyonesse
Lyonesse is a kingdom which, according to legend, consisted of a long strand of land stretching from Land's End at the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, to what is now the Isles of Scilly in the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean. I ...
who escaped on the back of a white horse. The Vyvyans having a horse for their crest and on their arms a lion rising out of the waves, whilst the Trevelyan's have a white horse rising out of the waves for their arms.
[Richard Polwhele, The history of Cornwall, civil, military, religious, architectural, agricultural, commercial, biographical, and miscellaneous, 1816]
*
Saint Piran
Saint Piran or Pyran ( kw, Peran; la, Piranus), died c. 480,Patrons - The Orthodox Church of Archangel Michael and Holy Piran'' Oecumenical Patriarchate, Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Laity Moor, Nr Ponsanooth, Cornwall. TR3 7H ...
, a 6th-century abbot who later became Cornwall's patron saint, is said to have borne ''sable, a cross argent.'' This design is very popular today as a symbol of Cornwall, and it is used as the
Cornish flag
Saint Piran's Flag ( kw, Baner Peran) is the flag of Cornwall. The earliest known description of the flag as the Standard of Cornwall was written in 1838. It is used by some Cornish people as a symbol of their identity.
The flag is attribut ...
.
See also
There is another list of armorial blazons "from Late 16th/Early 17th C Cornwall
here
There is a compendium of West Country arms, including many Cornish arms, collated from numerous primary and secondary sources
here
*
Cornish symbols
*
Devon heraldry
The landed gentry and nobility of Devonshire, like the rest of the English and European gentry, bore heraldic arms from the start of the age of heraldry ''circa'' 1200–1215. The fashion for the display of heraldry ceased about the end of the ...
*
Dorset heraldry {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
The Heraldry of Dorset concerns the Heraldry, coats of arms of armigerous families historically resident within the county of Dorset in England, and the coats of arms of municipalities and civic institutions within ...
* ''
Great Cornish Families
''Great Cornish Families: A History of the People and Their Houses'' is a book by Crispin Gill, published in 1995. A second edition was published in 2011 (). Crispin Gill, at the time of the book's publication, lived in Plymouth and was assistan ...
''
*
Cornish corporate heraldry
Coats of arms and seals of the County and Duchy of Cornwall, the Diocese of Truro, and of Cornish boroughs and towns.
Duchy and County heraldry
;Duchy
The armorial bearings of the Duchy of Cornwall are:Briggs, Geoffrey, ''Civic and Corporate ...
Further reading
*Gilbert, Charles Sandoe, ''A Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall to which is added a Complete Heraldry of the same with Numerous Engravings'', 2 vols., London, 1820
Vol.2*Lysons, Daniel & Samuel, ''Magna Britannia, Vol. 3: Cornwall'', "Extinct Gentry Families
References
* Joseph Biddulph, Heraldry East (English & Cornish Armorials), 2001
* Joseph Biddulph, Heraldry West: A Crop of Armory from Western Places in England and Cornwall, 2001
*
{{Heraldry of the British Isles
Heraldry
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...