Acquiring a REAL Coat of Arms: Part III

Halvor Moorshead concludes his description of how he applied for — and received — his own coat of arms.

The Letters Patent arrived in February 2004. The certificates are huge, each 22in. by 15in.

I am now armigerous (pronounced ahr-MIJ-ehr-us). This rarely used word means that I have a right to display my own real coat-of-arms or armorial bearings (the two terms are virtually interchangeable).

After about 14 months, on 4 February 2004 I finally received my Letters Patent: this comprises two enormous certificates, each 22in. by 15in. One certificate is a declaration advising people of the award with a technical description of the armorial bearings. The second has the official artwork, beautifully painted. Both certificates are signed by various members of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

The whole process began in October 2002. I wrote about the application and showed the design in the September/October and November/December 2003 issues of Family Chronicle and I had hoped that the final part would follow directly after this; however, this was not to be. From start to finish, the application took about 14 months, pretty close to the original timing that I had been told to expect.

The final artwork of Halvor Moorshead’s coat-of-arms. The official explanation reads: The field of the shield is red. The central charge is a white (heraldic silver) maple tree with its roots exposed. In the upper right and left and in the base is a white star. The colors are the national colors of Canada and represent Mr. Moorshead’s service to his adopted country, as does the maple tree. The colors are also two of the three national colors of the United States and Norway, symbolizing two other aspects of his family heritage. The tree is the tree of life, often a favorite symbol for those deeply involved, as Mr. Moorshead is, in genealogical pursuits; in his case through publishing and research. The stars are a second reference to his American ancestry. Crest (above the shield): This is formed of the upper part of a blue lion with red tongue and claws. The right arm of the lion is raised and the paw holds a white scroll. The symbolism of the lion is multiple. It refers to Mr. Moorshead’s education in Britain, to his roots in Norway and to the strength of his service to the community. The color in the third tincture is a reference to his varied ancestry on two continents. The scroll symbolizes his long involvement with publishing, most recently in the area of popularizing genealogical research. The motto is in Cornish. Translated it reads “Honor and Honesty”.

Differencing
Coats-of-arms are awarded to individuals and only that person is entitled to use them. In the Canadian system these coats-of-arms descend unaltered to the eldest child. Other descendants may use a differenced version of the coat of arms. Differenced arms generally vary only slightly from the original. An example might be, in the case of the shield shown, additional stars. Differenced versions can be produced along with the original application. I did not do this myself but had I chosen to do this would have added about $250 per person with an additional $200 (combined) for the calligraphy. The heraldic authorities in England, Scotland and Ireland do not all have the same rules for descendants.

On Reflection
My own genealogical research has unearthed no one in my line more important than moderately wealthy yeoman farmers in England during the 1500s. Although one line of that family did go on to gain considerable wealth (one member was awarded a coat-of-arms), my line did not prosper. My ancestors were, for many generations, tin miners in Cornwall in England. I am under no illusions that, by reason of birth, I am entitled to display any armorial bearings.

I could claim that I applied for these armorial bearings solely because it might make for an unusual and interesting article but that would not be honest. As a child, I was quietly thrilled by the supposed family crest and I was disappointed when I learned the truth that I had no right to use it.

People’s reaction to my receiving a coat-of-arms has varied greatly. Some people cannot understand why I went through this process and undertook the costs when they got their family crest in the local shopping mall (a couple of people have suggested that I am playing catch-up with them). A few people believe that I received these arms for some service to the country and that my denial of this is only modesty. A few are fascinated by what I have done and the process. Others, however, are gently mocking and probably think it is somewhat pompous. To date, no one has bowed or curtsied to me.

Halvor Moorshead holds the huge container in the which the Letters Patent were shipped.

Acquiring a coat-of-arms is not an inexpensive undertaking. The costs came in several parts and totaled $2,301 Canadian (about $1,725 US). I am currently having the certificates framed and this will add about $600 Canadian. The initial processing fee was $465 (all prices here are in Canadian dollars and include taxes); the first color sketch was $517, the final painting was $1,035 and the calligraphy was $162. I ordered a package of large color prints, negatives and a CD with the images on them for $122. Was it worth it? Yes.

Return to Part I | Return to Part II