Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-28

troops met at Loncarty, in Perthshre, a
great army of Danes.
The battle was long and somewhat in favor
Of the Danish invaders, until suddenly there
appeared on the scene an old farmer OF the
district followed by his two sons, all three
armed only with yokes So bravely, how
ever, did the newcomers fight that the Danes
were driven back and eventually routed.
After the victory the king sent for the old
farmer and asked him his name. The old
man being very deaf, answered, after the
fashion of deaf folk all the world over:
"Hay? Hay?"
His name was so written down by the
kings heralds who gave him for coat of
arms three red shields on silver ground,
typifying himself and his sons, who had
been the three shields of Scotland. The
king also granted them all the land his pet
gerfalcon could fly around; and the bird,
being locsed, crcled the entire earldom OF
Enrol.
For this reason a gerfalcon was granted
by way of crest, and subsequently two
farmer boys bearing OK yokes were added as
supporters To this day the land flown
around by the gerfalcon remains in the pos
session of the head Of Colonel Hays family
the earl Of Enrol.
The curious arms of the Wacott family
(of which the newly elected governor of
Massachusetts is a distinguished member),
are on a silver field sable chevron between
three chess rocks or castles also sable.
The story goes that John Wa.cott,
King Henry, and just before the battle of
Agincourt. After hotly contested game,
Walcott twho was evidently no fatterer).
succeeded In checkmating the king with the
roOk or castle. In memory of this achieve
ment, as well as for his bravery next day
In real strife the king changed the three
feurs-de-lys which he had formerly borne
to three chess rookie.
The powerful family of Cunningham, which
has many branches in this country, bears
hay fork for arms with the odd motto
covert Fork overt This is due to the fact
that when Malcolm Canmore was flying from
the wrath OF Macbeth he was hidden in The
haymow of an old farmer dwelling on the
qerds of Cunningham. Macbeths followers
soon appeared on the scene, but the farmer
went calmly on, forking hay over the hidden
prince, and crying to his men: over
Fork overt
passed on; and afterward, when Malcolm
came to power he rewarded his preserver
with the freehold and surname of Cunning
ham, and the arms and motto described.
The family of Hammond TO which Mr..
Hammond of South African fame belongs
bears a CHASTITY crest, yet one worthy Of
high honor 1t consists of two hands up
lifting human skull upon which rests the
coronet of a marquis. The crest was granted
because the original wolrer had had the
hardihood to carry away the skull Of the
brave marquis of Montrose from the spike
In Edin burgh, where II had been exposed
by the Purltans, and to give 1t decent
burial.
The proud race of Fitz- Gerald whose chief
is the little Irish duke OF Leinster has
pecular crest, the cause of which is certi-
fled by history. 1t Is monkey environed
with plain collar and dragging a broken
chain. The device was adopted because of
an incident in the life of Thomas Fitz-Ger-
AID, fifth earl of kildare.
When baby In his castle at Tralee, the
little earl was snatched from his cradle by
rgaI
battements. Contrary to expectation the
beast did not drop his charge, but after hold
Ing him up as though to overlook his prop
erty. gently bore him back to his cradle once
more. The earl was ever after called
"Thomas an Appagh," or "Thomas OF the
Monkey" by the Irish and the king granted
him this device In memory OF the event.
The Armstrong family's crest is also re-
msrdable, consisting OF a mans ann in armor
the hand clutching and lifting armed
leg.
The story goes that member OF the Fair
BARN family being In battle saw the king
OF Scotland fall from his horse into morass
Shifting his sword TO the left hand he has
tened to the monarch's aid, and. being
man OF prodigious strength succeeded in
lifting the fallen sovereign out of harms
way by the leg, using only the right hand
to do So For this he received the name of
Armstrong and the foregoing crest.
The famous "red hand OF ONeill" is borne
lor device by that warlke Irish elan, in mem
ory of feat performed by their ancestor
1t was agreed between this deuntless war
rior and several others that whichever Of
them. sailing from Scotland, SHOULD first
touch Irish soil was to possess the territory
which he touched. Seeing himself almost
outstripped in the race and the Ulster coast
few boat lengths away. the ancestor OF the
o'Nellls coolly chopped on his LEFT hand and
hurled II ashore thus first touching Irish
soil. His descendants became kings OF Ulster
and later earls OF Tyrone.
Oliver Cromwels erest--thai Of lion
holding a diamond ring in his paw-was
pronounced by heralds TO be prophetic the