kearneyb
2020-06-20 15:17:15 UTC
When an armiger receives a title and adds the appropriate supporters etc. to his existing arms, does the name of the resulting armorial bearing reflect the surname of the armiger or the armiger’s title?
Case in point, four generations of the Bothwell family of Edinburgh used the same basic arms on a chevron between three slipped trefoils, a star. This was seen in the seal of Francis Bothwell, Billie of Edinburgh in 1522. After Francis’ death, his eldest son, David, used the same design although before his father died he had used a seal differenced with two stars in base flanking the lower trefoil.
After David’s Death, the original version was used by his third son, Bishop Adam Bothwell, though with a crescent in place of the star on the chevron. It is believed that Adam added the motto and the design of the crest, a naked child pulling down the branches of either a pine tree or a palm tree, depending on whose blazon you believe. Adam used the design on his seal as Bishop of Orkney and it is carved on his memorial plaque near the altar at Holyroodhouse Abbey where he was interred. This is the first place where the motto is recorded.
Adam’s son, John, used the same arms as Adam and 14 years after Adam’s death was named Lord Holyroodhouse, at which time the supporters, Dexter, a spaniel dog collared Gules, Sinister, a goshawk proper, Jesse, beaked & Belled Or,” apparently were added.
(Several armorials record slightly different forms of the same arms under the names Bothwell of Furd, which was identical to Adam Bothwell’s arms, and Bothwell of Halbank described as “Azure a chevron between two hammers and a trefoil slipped Or.” Another relatively contemporary armorial, the Hague Armorial, describes the Bothwell arms as Argent on a chevron Sable betwixt three flowers Gules leaved and slipped Vert a star Argent.)
So, which would be the appropriate name to put in the ribbon beneath the armorial bearing of John Bothwell, Lord Holyroodhouse: Bothwell or Holyroodhouse?
Thanks.
Kearney Bothwell
Case in point, four generations of the Bothwell family of Edinburgh used the same basic arms on a chevron between three slipped trefoils, a star. This was seen in the seal of Francis Bothwell, Billie of Edinburgh in 1522. After Francis’ death, his eldest son, David, used the same design although before his father died he had used a seal differenced with two stars in base flanking the lower trefoil.
After David’s Death, the original version was used by his third son, Bishop Adam Bothwell, though with a crescent in place of the star on the chevron. It is believed that Adam added the motto and the design of the crest, a naked child pulling down the branches of either a pine tree or a palm tree, depending on whose blazon you believe. Adam used the design on his seal as Bishop of Orkney and it is carved on his memorial plaque near the altar at Holyroodhouse Abbey where he was interred. This is the first place where the motto is recorded.
Adam’s son, John, used the same arms as Adam and 14 years after Adam’s death was named Lord Holyroodhouse, at which time the supporters, Dexter, a spaniel dog collared Gules, Sinister, a goshawk proper, Jesse, beaked & Belled Or,” apparently were added.
(Several armorials record slightly different forms of the same arms under the names Bothwell of Furd, which was identical to Adam Bothwell’s arms, and Bothwell of Halbank described as “Azure a chevron between two hammers and a trefoil slipped Or.” Another relatively contemporary armorial, the Hague Armorial, describes the Bothwell arms as Argent on a chevron Sable betwixt three flowers Gules leaved and slipped Vert a star Argent.)
So, which would be the appropriate name to put in the ribbon beneath the armorial bearing of John Bothwell, Lord Holyroodhouse: Bothwell or Holyroodhouse?
Thanks.
Kearney Bothwell