The Handbook to English Heraldry Part 28

[Footnote 7: See Frontispiece.]

CHAPTER XIV

CRESTS

"On high their glittering crests they toss." --LORD OF THE ISLES.

"Then he bound Her token on his helmet." --ELAINE.

The idea of a CREST, of some accessory specially designed to form its crowning adornment, appears inseparable from the existence and use of a Helm. The Warriors and Warrior Divinities of cla.s.sic antiquity are represented to us, wearing head-pieces richly crested: and, in the Middle Ages, had no other Heraldry ever been devised, a.s.suredly ornaments of some kind would have been placed on helms and basinets, and these insignia would have been held in high esteem and honour.

Accordingly, about the time that Coat-Armour became hereditary, having been reduced to a system and accepted as an independent science, heraldic Crests began to be worn as honourable distinctions of the most exalted dignity by the mediaeval chivalry.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 375.--Richard I.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 376.--Henry de Perci.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 377.--Henry de Laci.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 378.--Seal of Alexander de Balliol, A.D. 1292.]

Upon the Second Great Seal of RICHARD I. the cylindrical helm of the King appears surmounted by a kind of cap or fan charged with a lion pa.s.sant, the whole being arched over by a radiated ornament somewhat resembling a displayed fan, as in No. 375. Similar Crests, somewhat modified in their details, are represented in other seals of the same era, and with them the flowing Contoise or Scarf is sometimes a.s.sociated, as in No. 376, from the seal of Baron HENRY DE PERCI, A.D.

1300. Similar ornaments were also placed by the knights of those ages upon the heads of their chargers. The seal of HENRY DE LACI, Earl of LINCOLN, A.D. 1272, shows the Fan-Crest both upon the helm of the Earl, No. 377, and the head of his war-horse. Another equally characteristic example is the Seal of ALEXANDER DE BALLIOL, No. 378, appended to the "General Release" given by JOHN BALLIOL to EDWARD I., 2nd January, 1292: it will be observed that this knight displays the arms of his house, No.

134, upon his Shield, and also, in addition to the Fan-Crest, upon the barding of his charger. Again I am indebted to the kindness and liberality of Mr. Laing for the use of his admirable woodcut of this fine and interesting seal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 379.--Helm of Thomas, second Earl of Lancaster.]

The flowing Contoise continued to be attached to helms till about the middle of the fourteenth century; unless, indeed, some veritable "lady's favour" were worn in its stead by knights favoured as was Sir LAUNCELOT, who, on a memorable day,--

"Wore, against his wont, upon his helm A sleeve of scarlet, broidered with great pearls, Some gentle maiden's gift."

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 380.--Helm and Crest of Sir Geoffrey Luterell: A.D. 1345.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 381.--Seal of Sir Robert de Marny, A.D. 1366.]

The seal of THOMAS, second Earl of LANCASTER, about A.D. 1320, gives an excellent example both of such figures as were beginning at that early time to supersede the Fan-Crests, and also of the Contoise; No. 379.

About this same period the fashion was introduced of fixing two tall spikes, one on each side of the Crest, upon the helm, probably intended in the first instance to display the contoise. These singular spikes may have been derived by the English Heralds from their brethren of Germany, who delighted, as they still delight, in placing upon helms as Crests, or as the accessories of Crests, small banners displayed from staves set erect and surmounted by spear-heads. In German Heraldry also Crests are very frequently placed between tall upright horns or trumpets: and, sometimes, upon a German helm the Crest stands between horns shaped like two elephant's trunks (for which they have often been mistaken by English Heralds), placed in the same erect position, and, like the trumpets, so adjusted as to have the general aspect of the curved outline of a cla.s.sic lyre. The helm of Sir GEOFFREY LUTERELL, A.D. 1345, No. 380, drawn from a celebrated illumination, between the tall spikes has a late example of the Fan-Crest; and it exemplifies the practice sometimes adopted of charging armorial insignia upon Crests of this fan form. The Arms of Luterell--_Or, a bend and six martlets sa._--were borne by Sir GEOFFREY thus differenced (E. 2)--_Az., a bend and six martlets arg._ A pair of lofty upright wings were held in much esteem in the Heraldry of both England and Scotland, to form the accessories of Crests. The Seal of Sir ROBERT DE MARNY, A.D. 1366, No. 381, shows his armorial shield--_Gu., a lion rampant arg._, suspended from a tree, between two crested helms, the crest in both cases being a _winged chapeau_, having the wings very tall and very slender.

From the earliest times, Crests have occasionally been identical with the princ.i.p.al charge in the Shield of Arms, or they have repeated the princ.i.p.al charge with some slight modification of att.i.tude or accessory: but, more generally, Crests have been altogether distinct. The Dragon and the Wyvern, the latter well exemplified in No. 315, are amongst the earliest figures that were borne as Crests in England. Other early Figure-Crests are the Lion, crowned and a.s.sumed for the first time by an English Sovereign by EDWARD III.; and the Eagle, borne by the same Prince. Various devices and figures are found gradually to have been added to these earliest Crests. The graceful and peculiarly appropriate _Panache_ soon joined them, with the heads of various animals and other creatures: and, as the fourteenth century advances, the _Crest-Coronet_, No. 232, the _Crest-Wreath_, No. 233, and the _Chapeau_, No. 224, a.s.sume their places in connection with Crests; and the _Mantling_ falls in rich folds from them, covering the back of the Helm. In the succeeding century, with Helms less dignified in form, but more elaborately enriched, and with strangely fantastic Mantlings, Crests become considerably larger in their proportions; and they often are extravagant in their character, devices constantly being a.s.sumed and borne as Crests, which are no less inconsistent with true heraldic feeling, than with the peculiar conditions and the proper qualities of true heraldic Crests. The Crest of the Duke of HAMILTON, No. 301, is far from being one of the most inconsistent devices that were intended to be worn upon helms. And, as it is scarcely necessary for me to add, every really consistent Crest should be such a figure or device as might be actually worn upon his helm, by a mediaeval knight, with dignity and with a happy effect.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 382.--Seal of William de Wyndesor.]

Early examples of Panache-Crests exist in considerable numbers, and they show much variety of treatment. No. 285, already given at page 142, shows a Panache of several heights of feathers, the general outline having an oval contour. In No. 283, from the Seal of EDWARD DE COURTENAY, Earl of DEVON, A.D. 1372, there are three heights of feathers, and the outline has a square form. Again, the Seal of WILLIAM LE LATIMER, A.D. 1415, gives the peculiar Panache, with the no less peculiar variety of mantling, shown in No. 284. A Panache of ample proportions, and of exceedingly graceful form, is represented in the Seal of WILLIAM DE WYNDESOR, A.D. 1381. The comparatively small size of the armorial Shield, as it generally appears when introduced into the composition of Seals in the fourteenth century, is shown in a striking manner in this same example, No. 382, which in the woodcut is slightly enlarged, in order to show the device more clearly: the arms are--_Gu., a saltire or_. Other fine examples of Panache-Crests may be seen in the effigies of Sir RICHARD DE PEMBRIDGE, K.G., A.D. 1375, in Hereford Cathedral; of Sir ROBERT DE MARMION, A.D. 1400, at Tanfield, Yorkshire; and of Sir THOMAS ARDERNE, about the same date, at Elford, in Staffordshire. The very fine effigy of Sir EDWARD DE THORPE, A.D. 1418, at Ashwelthorpe, in Norfolk, has a helm of rare beauty of form, with a rich mantling, and a most graceful Panache of peac.o.c.k's feathers; and peac.o.c.k's feathers also form the Panache of Lord FERRERS of CHARTLEY, in his Bra.s.s, A.D. 1425, at Merevale, in Warwickshire. And, once more, upon the Seal of THOMAS DE HATFIELD, Bishop of Durham, A.D. 1345, the Panache rises from the episcopal mitre, after the same manner as it does in No.

383 from a Coronet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 383.--Crest of Sir Richard Grey, K.G., A.D. 1420.]

Another episcopal Seal, that of Bishop HENRY LE DESPENCER, No. 351, shows a Shield of small size when compared with the helm and crest, the latter being the favourite device of a gryphon's head between two tall upright wings. The Seals of the FITZALANS, Earls of Arundel, and the Seal of JOHN TIPTOFT, Earl of Worcester, may be specified as displaying fine examples of the same Crest. With them may be grouped the Crest of Sir RICHARD GREY, K.G., Lord Grey of Codnor, A.D. 1420--_A peac.o.c.k's head and neck, between two wings erect, the feathers az., and their pens_ (quills) _arg._, No. 383, from the Garter-plate at Windsor. This Crest rises from such a Crest-Coronet as was borne on their helms by n.o.blemen in the time of HENRY V.

The use of the _Chapeau_, or Cap of Estate, instead of a Crest-Coronet, to support a Crest upon a helm, I have already ill.u.s.trated with Nos. 198 and 199, severally the Lion-Crests of the BLACK PRINCE and of his son RICHARD II. Like No. 199, No. 384 is from one of the unrivalled series of helms sculptured in Westminster Hall, with the Crest and Ostrich-feather Badge of King RICHARD II. In both of these examples the adjustment of the _Mantling_ is shown. Two famous Lion-Crests are those borne by the great families of HOWARD and PERCY, severally Dukes of Norfolk and Northumberland. The HOWARD lion, originally granted by RICHARD II. to THOMAS MOWBRAY, Earl Marshal, and now borne by the Duke of NORFOLK, is _a lion statant guardant, his tail extended or, and ducally gorged arg._: the PERCY lion is _statant, his tail extended or_: each lion stands upon a chapeau. The Lion-Crest of the BLACK PRINCE, being charged with the _silver Label_ (which he may be said to wear after the fashion of a collar), exemplifies the prevailing practice of _differencing Crests with marks of Cadency_. Crests admit every variety of Difference: and Mantlings also are frequently differenced with small charges, or with badges; as in the Garter-plate of Sir JOHN BEAUMONT, K.G., and in the Bra.s.s at Little Easton, Ess.e.x, to Sir HENRY BOURCHIER, K.G., Earl of ESs.e.x.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 384.--Helm, Crest, Mantling, and Badge of Richard II., from Westminster Hall.]

The _Crest-Wreath_ first appears about the middle of the fourteenth century. The earliest example to which I can refer is represented in the Bra.s.s to Sir HUGH HASTINGS, at Elsyng, in Norfolk, A.D. 1347. In this most remarkable engraven memorial, the finial of the princ.i.p.al canopy is surmounted by a helm with mantling, wreath, and the crest of HASTINGS--_a bull's head sable_; No. 385. In the effigy of Sir R. DE PEMBRIDGE, K.G., already noticed, the date of which is 1375, the crest is united to the great helm that supports the head of the knight by a wreath formed of a band of four-leaved flowers. A little later, A.D.

1384, at Southacre, in Norfolk, the Bra.s.s of Sir JOHN HARSYCK has a Crest-Wreath formed of two rolls, probably of silk, twisted as in No.

386. In the second half of the next century, amongst many good examples of Crest-Wreaths I select as typical specimens those which appear in the Bra.s.ses to Sir WILLIAM VERNON, A.D. 1467, at Tong, in Shropshire, No.

386; and to Sir ROBERT HARCOURT, K.G., No. 387, at Staunton Harcourt, Oxfordshire.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 385.--Crested Helm of Sir Hugh Hastings; A.D. 1347.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 386, 387, and 388.--Crest-Wreaths.]

The Crest-Wreath in the form shown in the last examples, and now almost universally used in representations of such Crests as are without the Crest-Coronet and the Chapeau, may fairly be considered to have been derived from the rich ornamentation, generally, as it would seem, formed of costly textile fabrics, if not executed in jewelled or enamelled goldsmith's work, that was frequently wreathed about knightly basinets.

These wreath-like ornaments are represented in numerous effigies both sculptured and engraven; and they are shown to have been worn either flat, as in No. 388, or wrought to high relief, as in No. 389. These two examples are severally from the effigies of a knight in Tewkesbury Abbey Church, about A.D. 1365, and of Sir HUMPHREY STAFFORD, A.D. 1450, at Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire. The enamelled effigy of Earl WILLIAM DE VALANECE, A.D. 1296, at Westminster, has a wreath of delicate workmanship in relief, which once was set with real or imitative jewels.

For many years after their first appearance, heraldic Crests were regarded as insignia of great dignity and exalted estate; and it was not till a considerably later period that the right to bear a Crest came to be regarded as an adjunct of the right to bear arms. Still later, when they were granted with Coat-Armour to corporate bodies, communities, and inst.i.tutions, Crests altogether lost their original significance; and they became, in their use, Badges in everything except the habit of placing them, with their accessories of Wreath or Crest-Coronet, of Chapeau and Mantling, upon representations of helms.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 389.--Basinet with Crest-Wreath, Effigy of Sir Humphrey Stafford, A.D. 1450.]

When they were actually worn, Crests were undoubtedly constructed of some very light materials. It is probable that _cuir bouilli_ (boiled leather), the decorative capabilities of which were so well understood by mediaeval artists, was generally employed.

It has been sometimes held that Crests are personal bearings only; and, therefore, not hereditary, though capable of being bequeathed or granted by their possessors. This theory is not sustained by early or general usage; and, accordingly, Crests must be p.r.o.nounced to be hereditary, as is Coat-Armour.

It is evident that as one person may inherit, and therefore may quarter, two or more Coats of Arms, so the same person might claim to bear _two or more Crests_ by a similar right of inheritance. This in early times resulted in selection because no early British precedent exists for the simultaneous display of _two_ Crests. But it was soon recognised that as no woman could bear a Crest, she ought not to transmit one, and the idea of the inheritance of the Crest with a quartering from a female ancestress ceased. At the present day, several Crests, each with its own helm and mantling, are occasionally represented above a Shield of arms: but, in England, by strict heraldic rule, two (or more than two) Crests can be borne by one individual, only when he has obtained the Royal licence to bear and use the _Surname and Arms_ of another family _in addition_ to those of his own family, or, by a special grant from the Crown.

CHAPTER XV

BADGES

"Might I but know thee by thy household Badge!"

--SHAKESPEARE, _Henry VI._, _Part 2_.

A BADGE, like a Coat of Arms, is an armorial ensign that is complete in itself, and possesses a definite signification of its own. In use with a decided heraldic significance long before the adoption of systematic Heraldry, Badges have always held a conspicuous position in the estimation of Heralds. A Badge resembles any single charge in Heraldry, in being a figure or device that is a.s.sumed as the distinctive cognisance of a particular individual or family: but, unlike a charge, it may be borne by itself, without any Shield, and also without any accompanying accessory, with the exception, in some instances, of a _Motto_ (See "Motto," p. 138). Badges, however, are found depicted on roundels of the livery, and upon Standards, and for decorative purposes are often depicted upon mantlings. It will be evident that a Badge may be the very same figure or device as a Crest; but, it must be remembered that a Badge always differs from a Crest, in usually being altogether without crest-wreath or coronet, in consequence of having no connection whatever with the knightly helm. There was, however, a period in which the Badge was much confused with the Crest, which has resulted in many devices which are really Crests being officially recorded as Badges.

After the establishment of a true Heraldry, Badges were generally used to commemorate remarkable exploits, or in reference either to some family or feudal alliance, or to indicate some territorial rights or pretensions. Very many Badges are allusive, and consequently they are _Rebuses_ (see "Rebus," p. 146). Some are taken from the charges of the bearer's Shield, or they have a more or less direct reference to those charges. Some trace of Marshalling or of feudal Difference may constantly be observed in Badges; and even where the motive for the selection of certain devices has not been discovered, it may fairly be a.s.sumed that a good heraldic motive still exists, although it has become obscured or been forgotten. It was not uncommon for the same personage or family to use more than one Badge; and, on the other hand, two or more Badges were often borne in combination, to form a single compound device, as in Nos. 235 and 270. The _ragged staff_, in like manner, No.

294, and the _bear_, both of them Badges of the BEAUCHAMPS, Earls of WARWICK, were sometimes united to form a single Badge, and by the successors of that great family the "bear and ragged staff" were generally borne as a single device. (See No. 448, and p. 319.)

Two distinct cla.s.ses of Badges were in general use in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. Those of the first cla.s.s, well known as the insignia of certain eminent personages and powerful houses, were borne by all the followers, retainers, dependants, and partisans of those personages and houses: and they were so borne by them, and they were used by their owners for every variety of decorative purpose, because they were _known and understood_; and, consequently, because the presence of these Badges would cause all persons and objects bearing them to be readily and certainly distinguished. By means of these most useful devices a wide and comprehensive range was given to the action and the influence of true Heraldry, without infringing in the slightest degree upon the lofty and almost sacred exclusiveness of the Coat-Armour of a n.o.ble or a gentle house. In the words which SHAKESPEARE teaches CLIFFORD to address to WARWICK, "Might I but know thee by thy household Badge!" it is implied that all the followers of Warwick were well known by his "household Badge," which was displayed by them all, while some other insignia were worn by the great Earl upon his own person.

Mr. Lower has remarked ("Curiosities of Heraldry," p. 145) that "something a.n.a.logous to the fashion" of embroidering the household Badges of their lords "upon the sleeves or b.r.e.a.s.t.s" of the dependants of great families in the olden times, "is retained in the Crest which adorns the b.u.t.tons of our domestic servants." The accomplished writer might have added that, in thus employing _Crests_ to discharge _Badge_-duties, we are content to indulge a love for heraldic display without observing becoming heraldic distinctions. Crested livery b.u.t.tons are heraldic anomalies under all circ.u.mstances--even the head of a house himself, if he were a Herald, would not display his Crest, as a Crest, upon b.u.t.tons to be used exclusively by himself. Crests are to be borne on helms, or represented as being borne on helms: Badges are decorative insignia, and fulfil with consistent significance their own distinct and appropriate functions.

Badges of the second cla.s.s were devices that were borne exclusively by the exalted personages who were pleased to a.s.sume them, often for temporary use only, and generally with some subtle or latent significance, which had been studiously rendered difficult to be detected, and dubious in its application.