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Question: Whats the difference between a family crest and a coat of arms!?
i have discovered one of each for my family!.
I'm just wondering the difference!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
A family crest usually denotes land ownership (much like a cattle brand)!. A Coat of Arms usually denotes a Military affiliation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There is no such thing as a family crest!. A crest is part of a coat of arms!. Coats of arms do not belong to surnames!. The peddlers on the internet, at shopping malls, in airports, in magazines that sell coats of arms(they use a misnomer family crest) frequently have valid coats of arms!. What isn't valid is they make it sound like they belong to everyone with a particular surname and they don't!. They will usually have a small disclaimer in fine print!.

Actually there might have been more than one man with the same surname, not all necessarily related, that were each granted their own coat of arms, all different!. No one peddler that sells them will have all of them!. They don't need to in order to sell to the gullible!. 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!. There might have been others!. also most men with that particular surname were never granted a coat of arms and their descendants aren't entitled to one at all!.

also only the oldest son is entitled to his father's coat of arms when his father dies!. Now when a man is granted one all sons usually obtained one with some differences!.

Now, it is quite possible for you to have more than one in your family tree!. That doesn't mean you are entitled to any one of them!. It just means if you have a book printed or even published on your family history, it is very legitimate for you to put pictures of your ancestors' coats of arms in your book!. The only way you would know that is by researching your family history!. You can't assume that if one was granted to a person with your ancestors' surnames that it belonged to them!.

If you are an American and you have any English lines that goes back to early colonial days in the American South, you have a good chance of finding more than one in your family tree!. Some in the South have the one that ancestor brought over from England 300-400 years ago!. They aren't those little walnut plaques with their surname on them either!. A person who is displaying a coat of arms belonging to them, their arms will not be on a walnut plaques, key chain, coffee mug etc and their name will not be over, under or across it!. In the South as a rule, people do not display their coats of arms!. They aren't any good at all for buying groceries or GASOLINE!.

See the link below from the British College of Arms!. You can't get a more authoritative source!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A crest is *part* of a coat of arms!. A coat of arms is the unique identification of a knight in armour!.

- The basic component of any coat of arms is the knight's shield, on which his arms were painted!.
- He would also wear a crest on top of his helmet, to help his allies and enemies identify him in battle!. The crest was often - but not always - an element of the design on the shield!. When a coat of arms is displayed, the crested helmet is shown above the shield!.
- There are other possible elements in a coat of arms - eg, a motto displayed on a scroll, figures called "supporters" flanking the shield, etc!. But these are optional, and some of the most ancient coats of arms don't have them!.

But NONE of these things belong to a whole family!. Except in Poland (where different rules apply), any given coat of arms (and the crest which is part of that coat of arms) belongs to ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE WHOLE WORLD!. Even if you are related to that person, it is not "yours"!. There is NO SUCH THING as a "family crest" or "family coat of arms"!.Www@QuestionHome@Com