The Washington herald., 1915-04-11

was established by Scotchman from
Berwick on Tweed. who received a
grant of land in Virginia near a gap
| in the Blue Ridge Mountains known as
Nicholsons Gap. The Scotch pioneer
settled on this grant early in the
eighteenth century.
William Nicholson. from Prescott.
Lanca shire. England. was another set
tier of this family. He was a carpen-
ter. and settled in Maine. He married
Susan Wylie. of Thomaston. Me, and
had eleven children, among them the
sons, John, William and a second Will
lam.
Another early settler of the name
was Edmund Nicholson. He landed In
New England-presumably from old
England-about the year 164S. He died
twelve years later. 1t is very probable
that he was a Quaker. AT all events.
his wife was Quaker. and was pros
ecuted. after her husbands death, be-
cause of her religious belief
Their children were Christopher.
30 years old a the time Of his fathers
death: Joseph, 20: Samuel, Is; John,
"A; Elizabeth. IL, and Thomas. Z.
Azure, two bars ermine on q chief ar
gent three suns proper. The crest is
lions head erased gules, ducally
gorged, or.
Answers to Correspondence.
To T. b. Digges who asks for the
description and symbolism Of the coat
of arms and crest of the Virginia
Digges family:
The coat -of-arms of the Digges, or
Diggs family is blazoned: gules. on a
cross argent. five double-headed eagles
heads. erased, sable.
Crests: G) An eagles leg. couped
at the thigh. sable. issuant therefrom,
three ostrich feathers. argent; (2) a
double-headed eagles head. erased.
sable.
Motto: Che Sara Sara-what will be.
will be.
Regarding the symbolism Of this
coat-armour. gules Cred). denotes mill
itary courage and magnanimity; ar
gent (silver). sincerity; sable (black).
constancy. An eagle, or any part Of an
eagle. means one occupied in high
pursuits; ostrich feathers. or any
feathers. willing obedience and Sc
renity. King Stephens crest had a
plume of feathers and the legend
NO force alters their fashion"
Coats-of-arms. in tho middle ages,
land. and the rigid etiquette, observed
in county records of it Virginia, dur
ing the seventeenth century, shows
that these distinctions prevailed here
as we'll. No one assumed the name of
gentleman without a claim to arms,
and the bearer Of arms was q gen
tleman." according to usage of the
time.
To F. Staples who asks whether the
Staples family is of French or Eng
lish origin:
All the traditions of the Staples
family point to French ancestry, al
though records begin in England.
Estaples is the name Of q town in
France; it is a seaport. and not far
from Boulogne. The more familiar
form now is Etaples.
The family may have taken their
name from this town, ana gone over
to England in the train Of the Con-
queror. and possibly given their name
to a town in Devon now called Staple.
Somerset called called Staples. De
Staples is said to have been one form
of the name.
One meaning of Staple, as every
one knows. Is a fastening stake. and
Stapleton is a town inclosed by
stakes.
A staple. again. means . mart or
emporium, and in old times q "mer-
chant of the staple" was . trader Of
One Of the chief staples
was wool, and staple Inn" was also
called the Hall of the Merchants Of
the Staple" /. e., wool.
Variations Of the name Staples are
Staple, Stapil. Stapel, Stapol. Staplers,
also Stapleton. Stapledon. Staplsfold,
Staplehill. and Stapley.
To L. p. NJ. who asks for the record
of the Pennsylvania family Of May:
The Pennsylvania family Of the
name was founded, 1t 10 said. By one
of three brothers from England. One
of them went to Bermuda, one to the
District of Columbia and the third to
Elleton, Cecil County, Maryland. From
the last of the three the Pennsylvania
family is descended. Several members
of this branch have made fame and
wealth as ironmastsrs OF. Chester
County.
To r. Bacon who asks for the coat.
of-arms of the family Of Bacon:
The coat-of-arms 10 blasoned grtle0,
on = chief argent. two mullsts. sable.
niercsd of the second Il. O.. the second
color named above. argent).
Crest, q boar possant. ermins. armed
and hoofed. or.
Motto. Msdiocria Firma-Msdiocrity
IL stable.
This coat-armor was borns By Dir