Position:Home>Genealogy> Slaney surname/family name information? Crest/Coat of arms, motto, description,

Question:Preferably free

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Preferably free

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With regard to a coat of arms, if you were entitled to one I think it most probable that you would know, families tend not to forget that they have a right to bear arms.

In the first instance the grant of arms was made to a male head of a family, and was passed equally to each of his sons, each one of his sons added their own marks of cadency to those arms. The eldest son added a label – a horizontal strip with three pendant drops (during the lifetime of his father). The second son added a crescent,
the third son added a five pointed star, the fourth son added a martlet, the fifth son added a annulet, the sixth a fleur de lys, the seventh a rose, the eighth a cross moline
and the ninth a double quatrefoil, which were then displayed on their shields to distinguish themselves from each other and their father, the sons passed their arms, complete with their own cadences, on to their own sons, who then added a second set of cadences to distinguish themselves from each other, their father, uncles and cousins.

When a man died, his eldest son then had the right to bear his father’s arms without the differentiation marks, the eldest son’s children would then add only one set of cadency marks, instead of two, and so on down the generations, the brothers of the eldest son continued to use the arms with their own cadency marks, which were later passed to their sons in the same manner, It all got very complicated.

Daughters also inherited the right to display their father’s arms if there was no male heir, a daughter could pass her father’s arms on to her sons. Wives, widows and daughters had a courtesy right to display their husband or father’s arms, normally on a diamond lozenge.

The original achievement remained the same through the generations, enhanced by the addition of the various cadences, however, the arms of more than one family could also be included on one shield. If both the man and his wife had the right to bear arms, they could be displayed side by side, called impalement, or if mixed together to form new arms, it was called compounding. One method was quartering, where the shield was divided into quarters, then, for example, if a man had no sons, his daughter or daughters inherited his right to the coat of arms, if one such daughter married a man who also had a coat of arms, her arms could be impaled with his, or be displayed on a
small shield in the centre of her husbands arms, their sons would then seek permission of the Heralds to bear arms, with their father’s arms in two quarters and their mother’s
in the other two quarters. In time the coat of arms could include the arms of many families and became very complex.

Dating originally from before the advent of surnames, the arms were in effect a means of identification, much the same as a surname. With the establishment of surnames during the 12th. And 13th. Centuries, those families who already had the right to bear arms acquired a surname to go with their arms, and once surnames were established
new arms were granted to people who had a surname, so it is clearly argueable as to whether or not arms are attached to surnames.

Neither were they introduced by the Normans for taxation purposes. The Normans arrived in England some 100 or more years before the first heraldic arms or devices began to appear.

Heraldry in Europe developed during the 12th.and 13th. centuries (1100-1200) Heraldic arms were a personal device, possibly for military purposes, or simply a display of status or vanity, it can only be guessed at because, today, no one knows the real reason. At first, arms were displayed without authority from anyone, but gradually became controlled by the Crown, through Heralds, whereby, men who could prove their ancient use of arms by their family, were granted permission to continue displaying them. Total control finally came about in the 15th.century, when Richard III
in 1484, established what is now known as the College of Arms, who still hold the
authority to grant or withhold the use and display of arms.


Sources.
Among others,
THE COLLEGE OF ARMS
and
T.Woodcock & J.M.Robinson's
THE OXFORD GUIDE TO HERALDRY

Shirley T
Perhaps you would be kind enough to show me the courtesy of actually taking the time to read my posting properly.
You will find, if you bothered to do the proper research into the subject, that I am in complete accordance with the principals of Heraldry regarding the granting and display of arms. You will also see that I make it crystal clear that no one has the right to display arms that do not belong to them.
Neither do I condone the businesses which sell ready made arms and family histories, much of what they purport to be family histories is utter bunkum.
Also I would recommend that instead of relying soley on internet sites for your information, you obtain and read a more authoritative and in depth book on the subject of Heraldic Arms, such as the one I mention, which is a detailed study.

emdiesse.
The name Slaney is certainly of Irish origin, the Chief Herald of Ireland's office may be able to tell you if there is a posibility that you are entitled to bear arms, the address is :-

Office of the Chief Herald, 2 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
email > info@nli.ie <

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Shirley T. I unreservedly apologise to you, I did not read your comment correctly, tried to delete it
at precisely the same moment as the asker chose it as b/a, I am very sory, Tebs. Report It

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