New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-11
JOAN OF ARCS ARMS
French Noble Families Entitled
to Bear Them.

o-,--z-srht 1910. by the Brentwood Cou,nanv,
The Maid OF Orleans left no descendants
p fs necessary TO state this at the present
moment. when Joan Of Arcs name is SO
-,vch before the public in connection with
me Imminent completion Of the final stages
~ her canonization. since a number OF
r--ench authentic mobiles and whole horde
IF 7seu6o aristocrats attribute the orfxin
~ +heIr nobility TO her. The majority of
+.e-r insist that the Maid OF Orleans es-
,s7ed burning At the stake at Rouen on
zrev 50. 1881 was rescued by her brothers
.rd carried of 20 Metz. where. after 1e-
aiming hidden for e time. she married ard
nacs-,e the mother OF a number CT chill
5-e1. from which these MOBILES both real
and bogus. claim descent In fact I have
besn shown by one OF the latter. who came
ovs- 70 this country. well recommended
~--b TIE object Of marrying some Aneri-
rsn heiress- & genealogical tree az the foot
- which figured Joan Of Arc and her 81
legged husb6 nd
Now this fortune hunter and all those
c-Ae- silly people who insist that they are
descended from the Maid Of Orleans are
evidently unaware Of two tfltags-hrst that
.he-e Is not one word OF truth in the story
q. her escape 20 Metz and OF her marriage.
nd. second. that not the slightest doubt
exists as 70 The fact Of her death actually
having taken place by fire IN the rnarke-
Mace al Rouen N 1881 Then. too, il is
evident that they have never heard Of TIE
REGULAR arrangements made by the French
crown IN the fifteenth century for honoring
her family. which are IN a measure respon-
SHE for The fairy tale of her marriage.
Two years prior 10 her being burned at
The stake-nanely, II 142e-king Charles
VI bestowed patents OF hereditary nobility
=, re father and mother Of Joan and on
her brothers. the patents expressly stipu-
la-.nr that the nobility accorded in reward
for her services should descend in the te-
NAE as vel as in the male line OF the pos
re-isv OF her brothers
This vas a terribly tall order: for n
meant practically that every one who was
able 10 trace MS descent IL any way from
Jsccues q Arc, and from his wife. Isabelle
Ro--3e. the parents of the Maid Of Orleans,
vas entitled 70 the rank and ali the prerog-
stives Of a French noble So big was the
crowd Of descendants Of her parents a hut
a-ed years later that II 1850 King Henry
= Issued 3 decree restricting the mobiles
claiming descent from Joan Of Arcs par
e7ts. 70 those persons only who were '1iv-
tag Il z knightly fashion and who had
means adequate 10 support their rank IN
1914 Louis XIV issued still another decree
announcing that no further applications for
patents Of nobility based on descent from
Joan q Arcs parents would be granted, and
rhz- the privilege originally conceded by
Charles vi IN 1929 was thereby terni-
mated
since this decree Of Louis XIV. nearly
three hundred Eears ago, there has been an
ezr-sordinary decline IN the number Of the
bona hde descendants Of Joan Of Arcs
rs-=7-s decline TO which the extinction
through massacre, emigration and ruin of
60 many noble families al the time Of the
great revolution Of 1898 has no doubt cor
r-ir-red. In fact. to-day there are barely
-v-e-rv families left that can show & per
fec-I- authentic descent but only in tne
female line from the parents Of the Maid
o. Orleans among them the Melcions @ Arc |
-ho as such are entitled 10 bear the arms
granted 70 her by King Charles VII nearly |
hr= hundred years ego /
TIE arms show On z blue shield per
rendicuIar sword Of silver. pointed upward |
Ire point supports the gold crown OF
France and the hilt Of the sword is also |
of gold. The sword is 7anked on each |
side 7v the gold heraIdic lily Of France
The crest shows z picture Of the Maid Of |
Orleans. her Ioosened and flowing hair sur 1
mounted By g golden crown. Of course |
ne golden lilies on the blue field are the l
e~-o~ial bearings Of the kings Of France 1
=-5 -he sword added thereto was in recog- /
-I-fon Of the manner IN which Joan Of Arc !
rad saved the Kings life and his throne |
and rad caused him TO be crowned King at /
E-.e5-s