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Question: Hereford Family Crest/Coat Of Arms!?
So, about two years ago I went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival!. I bought a picture of my coat of arms, it's really tiny though so I want a bigger pic of it (im getting it tattooed on my arm) but every time I look it up, it's not the same one I have now! But I know this is the right one because I got it from a professional!.!.!.can anyone help me find a bigger and more clear pic of this!?

http://i16!.photobucket!.com/albums/b15/-s!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
The Hereford coat of arms was granted to the city of Hereford in 1189 by King Richard the 1, Sovereign of England!. Hereford and London, also have the unique distinction that they are the only two places in the realm allowed to wear a Sovereign’s Coat of Arms within their own!.

The one in your picture is that coat of arms, blazoned as: Gules three lions passant gaurdant, in pale argent on a bordure azure ten saltires of the second!. The Crest is a lion passant guardant azure holding in its dexter paw a sword erect proper hilt and pommel or!. Supporters: two lions rampant guardant argent, each gorged with a collar azure charged with three buckles or!. Motto: Invictae Fidelitatis Praemium!.

There are other Hereford coats of arms but you would have to prove you male ancestral line to that person and submit it to the college of arms of England!.

The myth of a family crest comes from the tradition that someone who is entitled to arms has the crest (the part above the helmet) engraved on his silverware, china, family jewelry and everything else he owns and these things are inherited by the family!. There are plenty of people online at Renaissance fairs, airports, malls and such that will sell you a coat of arms as if you had the right to bear these arms just because you have the same name as the owner!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There is no such thing as a family coat of arms, they are awarded to individuals, not to families!. The city and county of Hereford do, however, have coats of arms and, as your family name probably comes from Hereford you could claim that you belong to the City or county and use their arms!.
Hereford town
http://www!.hereford!.gov!.uk/html/hereford!.!.!.
Herefordshire (county)
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Image:Heref!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://www!.college-of-arms!.gov!.uk/Faq!.ht!.!.!.
The above link is to the British College of Arms and is the most authoritative source on the subject!.

You said you found more than one!. Well, that is possible and it is also possible they are all valid, but they each belong to a different man!.

The crest is merely a part of a coat of arms!.

There are numerous peddlers on the internet, at shopping malls, in airports, in magazines selling coats of arms(misnomer family crest) like they belong to everyone with a particular surname and they don't!. Oh, they probabaly have in small print an explanation!. House of Names has the following, "We encourage you to study the Hereford genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.No families, not even royal houses can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested genealogy records!."

You can go ahead and get a tattoo if you wish, but understand in some countries the person whose coat of arms it is can file charges against you!. So if you go out of the country make sure it isn't seen!.


France and Poland are probably the only 2 countries where coats of arms belong to families!. They were and are granted to an individual man and are passed down to his direct legitimate male line descendants!. Only the oldest son inherits his father's upon his death!. The other sons will obtain one with some differences!. So that can account for the fact that you found more than one!.

Another thing is often more than one man with the same surname, not all necessarily related, were each granted their own coat of arms, all different!. No one peddler will have all of them!. They don't need to in order to sell!. The only time they will have more than one is if more than one man with the same surname from different national origins were granted one!. Then they will have one of each and there might have been others!. also, most men with that particular surname have never been entitled to a coat of arms!.

Another thing, the family history that comes with them might be yours and it might not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com