The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-21
PURCHASE OF ANcEsfoRS.

Hsither a Dimcult Nor an Expensive
Operation In London.
Persons are constantly calling at the
heralds' college in Queen Victoria street
In quest of coats Of arms or ancestors. In
addition to that ancient oak paneled hall
there are shops in the streets Of London,
gay with heraldio devices and marvellous
medieval birds and beasts, where pedi-
grees can be purchased and shields pro-
cured, with supporters, quarterings, crest
and motto complete
When W. s. Gilbert playfully alluded to
ancestors by purchase he probably did
not realize that he was making smart
hit at the traffic In orests and shields.
This is how 1t Is done: A clerk keeps u
kind of stock reference book, giving tho
names Of various county families and par
ticulars of their heraldic bearings
"Your name and place of residence,
please" says the clerk.
Brown of Camberwell.' or Clones Of
Wardour street. or Smith of Mile End"
replies the applicant.
"Ah, yes; Wnrdour street Is in Middle
sex. Jones Of Middlesex oh, here it is,
a lovely arms too! Azure, three balls of
Lombardy or CREST an empty purse, VERT
notices, 'L'empire, o'est Ia paix,' and
Keep off the grass -
"Think I've perfect right to it?" asks
Jones Of Middlesex, with an assumed care
lessness
"Oh, most decidedly! |" replies the clerk.
"We'll make you lovely sketch of it.
Only So. 3d., that's ALL Thank you, SIR"
Nobody can touch me for wearing itp"
pursues Jones, with growing fear Of ar
rest for petty larceny.
Nobody at ALL" says the shopnan.
"Pay the annual tax for bearing arms,
and nobody can touch you"
That Is correct. On the principle Of the
great Wackford Squeers, that q man may
call his house an island II he pleases, there
being mo law ag'in It," so a man may
call certain arms his own and apply the
same decoration Of his note paper, sgnet
ring and wheelbarrow. So that some en-
inently respectable heraldry, originally
granted perhaps for some desperate valor
amid the steel clash Of Greasy or the ar
rowy showers Of Aginoourt, is passed off
In this matter Of fact age for miserable
3d. Cd. to Jones Of Middlesex."
But the college Of heralds is tho only
place in the British empire which can
grant man arms by royal letters patent.
1t cost Colonel Shipway e8ss to obtain
arms and ancestors that did not belong to
him or his family. At the college of
heralds the extreme expense Of q genuine
coat Is just one-ninth Of that sum. Seven
ty six pounds ten shillings is the highest
feo the college may charge, and this In
oludes stamp duty and vellum scrool
with the royal sign manual affixed there
to. Nor may the college charge fee for
any information unless it states that fee
before giving the Information. The man
who goes there knows exactly beforehand
what he will have to pay. The bill Is not
being constantly added to by disinterred
lead oofflns or initials on belfry beams.
But can any one walk up Queen VIC
toria street, entsr the little courtyard,
ascend the stone steps and plank down
e76 los and get himself coat of
armsf" The Daily Mall representative
asked this question at the college. No,
was the answer. Before being granted
a coat of arms man must prove he
has reached state Of life In which arms
can be suitably borne. The proof is loft
entirely to the discretion Of the Duke Of
Norfolk, earl marshal of England. -.Lon-
don Mail