The Washington herald., 1909-06-06
By RUDOLPH DE zAPP.


AlJhoush Americans are supposed TO
have small use for armortaI bearings
and similar devices. designed 10 accen-
I clate distinctions OF bi-th OF position.
T the fact remains. according 10 hereldry
experts. that the United STATES IS their
most profitable heid OF activity. Every
. body that IS anybody al ali permits him
self or herself. as the case may De. the
( privilege Of displaying on their uOle
/ heads and envelopes and t1ei- private
stationery in general the coaJ-Ot-arms
f OF their family.
/ There seems 10 be something irresisr-
7 ibIe 10 The man, and especially the wonl-
al OF wealth. IN a cIeveriy. c0ccocceG tale
showing rhat he or she Is OF eristocra1le
/ lineage. Even so democratic q million
T al-e as John n Rockefeller has been In
terested In tracing his descent back 10 q
/ French barcn OF the medieval period
/ or course, there IS nothing 70 prevent
Americans from adopting a coaJ-o--arTus
which shall indicate the occupation from
which they gained their fortunes or 1he.r
names and residence. That IS not only
.re cheapest. bu- the most sensible plan.
and il is The one followed b. those with
whom these he-aIdic designs originated
CuriousIy enough, many ancient coats
of-arms have their origin in puns per
pe-ated on The names OF their owners
Fearful purs. for the most part, they
are. and none worse than those OF fami-
lies legitimately entitled 20 armorial
bearings. The Abbot OF Ramssys arms.
Ior instance. bear q simple design Of a
ram IN the sea IsIip, Abbot OF West
minister. has upon his shield the picture
o. a man falling from a tree, the suppo-
sitIon being that he exclaimed. I slip.
In window OF the chapel AT LUIing-
stone. Kent. the seat Of r Il Dyke.
Bart. may be seen The a-moriaI bearings
o. Sir John Peche. which consist of two
peach trees bearing fruit Upon each
sruit IS imprinted an old English ~E.-
the whole surm0unted by q wreath. This
device has been introduced into @ COnr0-
versy about the pronunciation OF the
name and was accepted as a proof that
Il was Pechee and uot Peche- Accord
ing 10 some authorities, the Lys in the
royal arms OF France are q play on the
name Louis anciently spelled L0ys- The
arms Of Spain exhibit quarterly a castle
and q lion. a palpable turn upon the
W. Ited provinces Of CASTLE and Leon.
Birds and animals figure IN numerous
coats-Of-arns where the name OF the
bearer can be so indicated and make an
Interesting study. The house Of Pelham,
for example. displays three pelicans upon
It's coat-Of-arms and their crest IS q pea
cock. The Bacon family escUtcheon de-
picted a boar and three lambs Perhaps
one Of the best Of the hundreds in this
category is that OF the Wyllies. which
bears q fox. meaning willy. Count FloriO
OF Spain has a sunhOyVer upon his shield,
and Deisle Of Scotland daisies The coat
/ cf-arms Of 8Iyles Stan6ish, OF New York.
is purely a play upon the name and con-
sists Of three standing dishes The crest
Is an owl with a rat IN It's talons- Will
sam Elmer WheelOck, Of MOrristOwn. "
J., displays on his shield three Catherine
wheels The Carter family. Of Phila-
delphia. give another example Of the
simpler heraldry I'm three cart wheels
Theodore ROOsevelI's coaI-of-aruns shows
a field with three roses. and that OF Pres
ident Taft bears three tufts on its shield
Even a hotel NAV have a coat-Of-arns.
The most noted case in Kew York CITY
is that Of the yellow aster. which IS the
emblem Of the Astor family. and is used
BY the Hotel Astor. It is used over and