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Question: How do I find if our family is entitled to use a coat of arms!?
There are two different coats of arms for our family surname, but how do I find if my family line is entitled to use which, if any, of them!.
I have looked on the website of the college of arms, but they don't seem too keen on people tracing their family history (unless of course you are stinking rich)!.
Most of the websites that offer family coat of arms searches are useless, they show a coat of arms but, it may not be related to your particular family!.
If anybody knows of a more historically accurate site I would be grateful!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
The college of arms has extensive genealogical histories which they do not share!. Some have been published in books that modern heralds collect, there are hundreds and the accuracy is questionable (Burke's General Armory is one that gives a short descendancy with most arms)!. The college used to have visiting heralds tracking the descendancy of armingers but now there are just too many!. You must trace your ancestry as far back as you can and submit it with the application fee (about $4,000!. for Americans) and hope it connects with their records!. The arms you entitled to may not be the ones from your surname!.

Ancestry!.com's Family Tree Maker CD# 368 "British and American Coats of Arms" has 7 indexed books with descendant histories for the armingers including Burke's General Armory!. I can't find that CD for sale right now on ancestry or family tree maker, watch for it on eBay!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com

find out to whom those two coats of arms were granted (who they were given to) and then do your family history and see if you are descended from either of them!.

DO NOT TRY AND CREATE A CONNECTION!.

To be able to CLAIM a coat of arms you have to be able to PROVE legally that you are a descendant!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you go back ans search on the other questions like this, you will find that you are not entitled to a coat of arms!. They were awarded to individuals, not families!.
If you want to have one, you can make your own!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

What do you actually need it for!? Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am glad to see that you understand that just because a coat of arms was granted to someone with your surname that doesn't mean it has anything to do with you!.

The only thing you can do is to trace your family tree!. If you find you are directly descended from a man that was granted a coat of arms, you can send your family tree to the College of Arms and they might grant you one!. Only the oldest son is entitled to his father's!. However, all the sons are entitled to one but with some differences!.

Actually, you might find more than one in your family tree!. That doesn't mean you are entitled to any one of them!. It just means that if you have a book printed or even published on your family history, it would be quite legitimate for you to put pictures of your ancestors' coats of arms in your book!.

If you are an American and you have any English lines that goes back to early colonial days in the American South, you have an excellent chance of having several in your family tree!. The Jamestown colonist, particuarly, mostly came from titled families!. That's probably why is takes a backseat to the later settlement at Plymouth Rock!. Jamestown had a hard time getting off the ground!. Those gentlemen were not as adaptable to hard work and hardships that the Mayflower colonist were!.

Actually some in the South have the ones their ancestor brought over from England 300-400 years ago and they aren't those dinky little walnut plaques!. As a rule, they don't display them!. Afterall, they aren't the least bit good for buying groceries or GASOLINE!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

there's a web on heraldry somewhere but it seems to me that every surname has a coat of arms!.
If you type in the search space!.!.!.!.!.!.coat of arms/
and then your surname it'll bring up a website with your coat of arms on itWww@QuestionHome@Com