Family Crest and Coat of arms

+2 votes
398 views
I dont see what the problem is if people want a family crest or coat of arms, we know they were given to a certain person ,but in this day and age with so many people reseaching their family tree what is wrong with wanting a family crest or coat of arms with your familys  name on it
in Genealogy Help by Terry Wright G2G6 Pilot (190k points)

2 Answers

+1 vote
Nothing wrong with wanting it, but unless the crest/coat of arms was assigned to you by the official body responsible for doing so, you'd be claiming something that did not belong to you.
by Jillaine Smith G2G6 Pilot (895k points)
I am in no way claiming any family crest as mine   ,what happened to searching for your family being fun  most people who do their family tree know nothing when they start but learn as they go along ,they dont know that family crest were given to certain people because you have companys that sell them so they think the crest is for a certain name from a certain country.
Sorry, Terry; I was using "you" generically. There are a number of queries here about crests and coats of arms. And many misconceptions about them. I feel it's important that people be informed about what is and isn't true about crests and coats of arms.

I didn't know much about such things when I started out either. Somewhere along the way, I "discovered" that one of my ancestral surnames had a coat of arms. Cool, I thought, until I learned how many of them are bogus or have nothing to do with my family, and how there were companies that would sell them to people who believed them to be legitimately connected to their family.

I also think it's quite possible to have fun doing family history research without compromising accuracy.
hi jillian sorry i misunderstood what you said, i agree you need accuracy when doing your research i try to always check information ,but i think we have to agree to disagree on the family crest but thats the good thing we each have our own ideas and thats how it should be,but yes i think people should be informed and allowed to make up their own minds
Wholly disagree Terry.  If they want to apply for arms, let them do so, but to usurp arms that don't belong to them is theft.
As you can see, Terry, this is a serious issue especially for those from the UK.  I think because we don't have official arms in the US, we don't appreciate the sense of ownership and pride in such things nor fully understand that in England this would be considered theft for which one could be charged.  Is that correct, William?
Interesting mix up between England and Uk. My arms are Scottish and registered there notwithstanding I live in England. But the arms themselves and their constituent parts mean something. For example the silver helm face forward, shows that I am a knight or Baronet. The red hand on a white background is exclusively reserved for Baronets. The motto being above the armorial bearings means I am Scottish, etc. the motto (Deum Laudans) is an answer to the Chief of the Family (Laus Deo), and acknowledges his position above my humble self. My elder son can use my arms with a label (an E on its side) on the crest and the shield but he can't use the same helmet or the inescutcheon  (the bloody hand). Furthermore my younger brother outranks me (because he is a Privy Councillor) and goes into dinner first but he has merely a gentleman's arms, within a belt and buckle. Arms which belong to another and are used in Scotland will be defaced and the usurper subject to is daily fine by the Procuratorr Fiscal.
When i was talking about using a crest on a profile i didnt mean a personel crest i was talking about using a crest from a country ie Smith profile that was from Ireland so using the Irish Crest i wouldnt use anyones personel crest that I agree wouldnt be right but i still dont see the problem with using a crest  for a profile if they were born in that country Terry
A crest is part of a coat of arms. The coat of arms is granted to an individual. Not to a family.
I empathise with what you say Terry in terms of the family history thing being fun and a learning experience. However, all too often these companies that you speak of offer the service that you describe are providing you with either spurious arms that were never issued, or with the arms of someone who happened to share your surname, who were, nonetheless, not actually realted to you.

These are all reasons why adopting them as a family crest is an historical nonsense. That said, they can look nice on the hallway wall, so if that is what floats your boat, go for it!
+1 vote

There are a lot of websites out there that falsely sell "family crests". I really like this one because it includes a disclaimer on each page that tells people the truth!

https://coadb.com

by

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