act of parliament passed in the thirty-first year of the reign of
Henry VIII. The order has been varied at different periods to accord
with the alterations in the families of the reigning monarchs, and
the creation of new offices. The following table shows the order of
precedency at the present time, viz. the eighth year of the reign of
Queen Victoria.
The Queen.
The Prince of Wales.
The Queen's Children.
Prince Albert of Saxe Cobourg and Gotha.
The Queen's Uncles.
The Children of the Queen's Uncles.
The following dignitaries precede all Dukes, except those of the blood
royal:--
Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England.
Lord High Chancellor or Keeper.
Archbishop of York, primate of England.
Lord High Treasurer.
Lord President of the Privy Council.
Lord Privy Seal.
The following dignitaries precede all of their own degree:--
The Earl Marshal.
Lord Steward of her Majesty's household.
Lord Chamberlain.
Secretaries of State.
Dukes according to the date of their patent.
Marquises according to the date of their patent.
Dukes' eldest Sons.
Earls according to their patents.
Marquises' eldest Sons.
Dukes' younger Sons.
Viscounts according to their patents.
Earls' eldest Sons.
Marquises' younger Sons.
Bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester; all other Bishops
according to their seniority of consecration.
Barons according to their patents.
Speaker of the House of Commons.
Viscounts' eldest Sons.
Earls' younger Sons.
Barons' eldest Sons.
Knights of the Garter, commoners.
Privy Councillors, commoners.
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
Master of the Rolls.
The Vice-Chancellor of England.
Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
Judges and Barons of the degree of the Coif, according to seniority
Viscounts' younger Sons.
Barons' younger Sons.
Baronets.
Knights of the Bath.
Knights Commanders of the Bath.
Field and Flag Officers.
Knights Bachelors.
Masters in Chancery.
Doctors graduate.
Serjeants at Law.
Esquires of the King's Body.
Esquires of the Knights of the Bath.
Esquires by creation.
Esquires by office.
Clergymen, Barristers at Law, Officers in the Royal Navy and Army who
are Gentlemen by Profession, and Gentlemen entitled to bear arms.
Citizens.
Burgesses.
The Lords Spiritual of Ireland rank next after the Lords Spiritual of
Great Britain; the priority of signing any treaty or public instrument
by the members of the government is always taken by rank of place, not
by title.
The style prefixed to the titles of the peerage of Great Britain and
Ireland are as follows :--
Princes of the Blood, His Royal Highness.
Archbishops, His Grace.
Dukes, The Most Noble His Grace.
Marquesses, the Most Honorable.
Earls, Viscounts, and Barons, The Right Honorable.
Bishops, The Right Reverend.
* * * * *
DICTIONARY OF HERALDIC TERMS.
ABAISSÉ. A French word, generally used in heraldry instead of the
English word abased. When the fess, or any other ordinary properly
placed above the fess point of the shield, is brought below it, that
ordinary is said to be _abaissé_.
ABATEMENT. Any figure added to coats of arms tending to lower
the dignity or station of the bearer. Thus, the baton, denoting
illegitimacy, is an abatement: so, also, are the differences in coats
of arms showing the degrees of consanguinity.
ADDORSED. Any animals set back to back. See LION.
ALLERION. An eagle displayed, without beak or feet.
[Illustration: Allerion]
Ex. Argent, an allerion gules.
ALTERNATE. Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.
AMETHYST. A precious stone of a violet colour, the name of which was
formerly used instead of purpure, to denote the purple tincture when
emblazoning the arms of the English nobility.
ANNULET. A small circle borne as a charge in coats of arms.
[Illustration: Annulet]
Ex. Azure, an annulet argent. Annulets are added to arms for a
difference. See DIFFERENCES, p. 13. [CHAP. III.]
ANCIENT. A small flag or ensign. The bearer of the flag was called by
its name. _Iago_ was ancient to the troops commanded by _Othello_.
"This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
The same indeed, a very valiant fellow." SHAKSPEARE.
ARCHBISHOPS. Church dignitaries of the first class. There are but two
in England--the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York.
The former is the first peer of England next to the royal family, and
has the title of _Grace_ given to him; and likewise _Most Reverend
Father in God_. He is styled Primate of all England, and Metropolitan.
The Archbishop of York has precedence of dukes and great officers of
state, except the lord chancellor. He is called _His Grace_ and
_Most Reverend Father in God_; and styled _Primate of England_ and
_Metropolitan_.
ARGENT. The French word for silver, of which metal all white fields or
charges are supposed to consist.
[Illustration: Argent]
ARMED. This word is used to express the horns, hoofs, beak, or talons
of any beast or bird of prey, when borne of a different tincture from
those of their bodies.
[Illustration: Armed]
Ex. Crest, a demi-griffin armed, gules.
ARMORIST. A person skilled in the bearings of coats of arms, and all
relating to their emblazonment.
ARMS. A word derived from the Latin _arma_, which signifies in
Heraldry a mark of honour, serving to distinguish states, cities,
families, &c.
ARROWS. Short darts feathered at the ends.
[Illustration: Arrows]
Ex. Argent, three arrows paleways, points in chief sable, feathered.
ASPECTANT. Animals placed face to face in a charge are said to be
aspectant. If they are about to attack each other, they are said to be
combatant.
ASSUMPTIVE. Arms assumed without being sanctioned by a grant from the
College of Heralds.
ASSURGENT. A man or beast rising out of the sea is said to be
assurgent.
ATCHIEVEMENT. The coat of arms fully emblazoned according to the rules
of Heraldry. The lozenge-shaped atchievements that are displayed on
the outside of the houses of persons deceased are commonly called
Hatchments.
ATTIRED. When the horns of a stag are of a different tincture to its
head, it is said to be attired.
[Illustration: Attired]
Ex. Argent, a stag lodged, proper, attired, or
AUGMENTATION. This word signifies in Heraldry a particular mark of
honour, granted by the sovereign in consideration of some noble
action, or by favour; and either quartered with the family arms, or on
an escutcheon or canton.
[Illustration: Augmentation]
Ex. Ermine, on a chevron azure, three foxes' heads erased, argent. The
augmentation is in a canton azure, a fleur-de-lis argent.
AZURE. The French word for _blue_: it is distinguished in heraldic
engraving by lines running parallel to each other in an horizontal
direction, as in the annexed example.
[Illustration: Azure]
BADGE. A distinctive mark worn by servants, retainers, and followers
of royalty or nobility, who, being beneath the rank of gentlemen, have
no right to armorial bearings. The rose and crown is the badge of the
servants, &c., of the Kings of England: they are displayed as in the
annexed example.
[Illustration: Badge (Rose and Crown)]
BANDED. Anything tied with a band.
[Illustration: Banded]
Ex. Argent. Three arrows proper, banded.
BANNER. The principal standard of a knight. The great banner borne at
the funeral of a nobleman contains all the quarterings of his arms: it
varies in size according to the rank of the deceased. The banner of
the sovereign is five feet square; that of a prince or duke, four feet
square; for all noblemen of inferior rank, three feet square.
BANNER ROLL is a small square flag containing a single escutcheon of
the deceased. Thus, if there are twelve quarterings in the banner,
the same number of banner rolls will be required to be borne in
the funeral procession. The annexed engraving shows the banner and
banner-roll.
[Illustration: Banner roll]
BAR. An honourable ordinary, occupying one-fifth of the shield. It may
be placed in any part of the field. It has two diminutives, the closet
and barrulet.
[Illustration: Bar]
Ex. Ermine, two bars gules.
BARBED. Bearded. It is also applied to roses.
[Illustration: Barbed]
Ex. Azure, a rose argent, barbed, and seeded proper.
BARON. The lowest title of the peerage of Great Britain.
BARON AND FEMME. Terms used in Heraldry to denote the arms of a man
and his wife, marshalled together. See p. 38. [CHAP. VI.]
BARRULET. The smallest diminutive of the bar. The closet is half the
bar; the barrulet half the closet.
[Illustration: Barrulet]
Ex. Gules, two barrulets argent.
BARRY. A field divided transversely into several equal parts, and
consisting of two different tinctures interchangeably disposed.
[Illustration: Barry]
Ex. Barry of eight pieces, azure and argent.
BATON. BATUNE. BASTON. It is generally used as an abatement in coats
of arms to denote illegitimacy.
[Illustration: Baton]
Ex. Or, a cross gules, over all a baton argent.
BATTERING RAM. An instrument used for battering down walls before
gunpowder was known in Europe: it is frequently borne as a charge in a
coat of arms.
[Illustration: Battering ram]
Ex. Argent, a battering ram proper.
BATTLE AXE. An ancient military weapon, frequently borne on arms as a
mark of prowess.
[Illustration: Battle axe]
Ex. Argent, three battle axes gules two over one.
BATTLEMENTS. Divisions or apertures on the top of castle walls or
towers.
[Illustration: Battlements]
Ex. Gules, three towers embattled argent.
BEAKED. The beak of a bird being of a different tint from the body is
said to be beaked.
[Illustration: Beaked]
Ex. An eagle's head erased, beaked, or.
BEAVER. That part of the helmet that defends the sight.
[Illustration: Beaver]
BELLED. Having bells.
[Illustration: Belled]
Ex. Argent, a barrulet gules, belled with three bells proper.
BEND. One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines
drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally
occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one
third.
[Illustration: Bend]
Ex. Azure, a bend argent.
BEND SINISTER. Is the reverse of the bend; it is seldom found in coats
of arms, as it is reckoned an abatement.
[Illustration: Bend sinister]
Ex. Argent, a bend sinister gules.
IN BEND. Figures placed in a slanting direction from the dexter chief
to the sinister base are said to be in bend.
[Illustration: In bend]
Ex. Or, three torteaux in bend.
BENDLET. A diminutive of the bend, of the same shape, but only half
the width of the bend.
BENDY. This word serves to denote a field divided diagonally into
several bends, varying in metal and colour.
[Illustration: Bendy]
Ex. Bendy of six pieces, azure and argent.
BESANT, or BEZANT. Gold coin of Byzantium; when they appear in a coat
of arms their colour is not described: a besant is always or.
[Illustration: Besant]
BILLETS. This charge is, by some authors, supposed to represent tiles
or bricks; by others that it represents a letter or billet. The name
and form of the charge most accords with the latter opinion.
[Illustration: Billets]
Ex. Argent, three billets azure, two over one.
BISHOPS. Church dignitaries: they are barons of the realm, and have
precedence next to viscounts: they have the title of _lords_, and
_right reverend fathers in God_.
BLAZON. To describe in proper colours, or lines representing colours,
all that belongs to coats of arms. Arms may also be emblazoned by
describing the charges and tinctures of a coat of arms in heraldic
terms.
BLUE-MANTEL. A title of one of the pursuivants at arms. See HERALD.
BORDURE or BORDER. This was the most ancient difference in coats of
arms, to distinguish different branches of the same family. It is a
border round the edge of the shield. Its situation is always the same;
but the inner edge may be varied.
[Illustration: Bordure]
Ex. Argent, a sinister hand couped at the wrist and erected gules,
within a bordure azure.
BOTTONNY. See CROSS BOTTONNY.
BOUJET. An ancient water bucket, frequently borne in shields of arms.
[Illustration: Boujet]
Ex. Argent, a boujet proper.
BRACED. Two figures of the same form, interlacing each other.
[Illustration: Braced]
Ex. Vert, two triangles braced, argent.
BRASED and BRAZED are words sometimes used by ancient armorists. They
always describe things interlaced or braced together.
BROAD ARROW. An ancient weapon of war, thrown by an engine. It is
frequently borne as a charge in coats of arms.
[Illustration: Broad arrow]
Ex. Argent, a broad arrow gules.
CABOCHED or CABOSHED. Beasts' heads borne without any part of the
neck, and full faced.
[Illustration: Caboched]
Ex. Argent, a stag's head caboshed, proper.
CALTROP. An iron instrument made to annoy an enemy's cavalry. They
were formed of iron, being four spikes conjoined in such a manner that
one was always upwards. It is found in many ancient coats of arms.
[Illustration: Caltrop]
Ex. Argent, a caltrop proper.
CANTON. The French word for corner. It is a small square figure,
generally placed at the dexter chief of the shield, as in the annexed
example.
[Illustration: Canton]
CELESTIAL CROWN. Distinguished from any other crown by the stars on
the points or rays that proceed from the circlet.
[Illustration: Celestial crown]
CHAPEAU. Cap of maintenance or dignity, borne only by sovereign
princes. It is formed of crimson or scarlet velvet, lined with ermine.
[Illustration: Chapeau]
CHAPLET. An ancient ornament for the head, granted to gallant knights
for acts of courtesy. It is frequently borne as a charge in a shield
of arms, and always tinted in its natural colours. [Illustration:
Chaplet]
Ex. Argent, a chaplet proper.
CHARGE. The figures or bearings contained in an escutcheon.
CHECKY. The field covered with alternate squares of metal and fur.
[Illustration: Checky]
Ex. Checky, sable and argent.
CHEVRON. This ordinary is supposed to represent the rafters of the
gable of a house.
[Illustration: Chevron]
Ex. Or, a chevron gules.
CHEVRONEL. The diminutive of the chevron, being one half its size.
[Illustration: Chevronel]
Ex. Argent, two chevronels gules.
CHIEF. One of the honourable ordinaries. It is placed on the upper
part of the shield and contains a third part of it. The letters show
the points in the chief. A is the dexter chief; B, the precise middle
chief; C, the sinister chief.
[Illustration: Chief]
CHIMERICAL FIGURES. Imaginary figures, such as griffins, dragons,
harpies, &c.: all of them will be found under their proper names.
CINQUE FOIL. Five leaves conjoined in the centre.
[Illustration: Cinque foil]
CIVIC CAP. A cap of dignity borne by mayors of cities or corporate
bodies: it is formed of sables garnished with ermine.
[Illustration: Civic cap]
CLARION. A horn or trumpet borne in this shape in English and German
coat-armour.
[Illustration: Clarion]
Ex. Azure, three clarions or.
CLENCHED. The fingers pressed towards the palm of the hand.
[Illustration: Clenched]
Ex. Azure, a dexter arm vambraced couped, the fist clenched proper.
CLOSE. A bird with its wings closed.
[Illustration: Close]
CLOSET. A diminutive of the bar, being only one half its width.
[Illustration: Closet]
Ex. Or, two closets azure.
CLOSEGIRT. A figure whose dress is fastened round the waist.
[Illustration: Closegirt]
Ex. Gules, an angel erect with wings expanded or, dress closegirt.
COAT ARMOUR, or Surcoat. A loose garment worn over the armour of a
knight; hence the term coat of arms. On this garment were emblazoned
the armorial bearings of the wearer.
[Illustration: Coat Armour]
COCKATRICE. A chimerical animal, a cock with a dragon's tail and
wings.
[Illustration: Cockatrice]
COLLARED. Having a collar. Dogs and inferior animals are sometimes
collared: the supporters and charges are generally said to be gorged.
See GORGED.
COMBATANT. A French word for fighting. See LION.
COMPLEMENT. The Heraldic term for the full moon. When this figure is
introduced as a charge in a coat of arms, it is called a moon in her
complement.
COMPONY. A term applied to a bordure, pale, bend, or any other
ordinary, made up of squares of alternate metal and colour.
[Illustration: Compony]
Ex. Argent, an inescutcheon azure, border compony, or and gules.
CONJOINED. Joined together.
[Illustration: Conjoined]
Ex. Argent, three legs armed, conjoined at the fess point at the upper
extremity of the thigh, flexed in a triangle, garnished and spurred,
or.
CONY. An heraldic name for a young rabbit.
[Illustration: Cony]
COTICE. One of the diminutives of the bend: cotices are generally
borne on each side of the bend.
[Illustration: Cotice]
Ex. Gules, a bend argent, coticed of the same.
The cotices are frequently of a different tincture from the bend they
cotice.
COUCHANT. The French word for lying down with the breast towards the
earth, and the head raised. See LION COUCHANT.
COUNT. A nobleman that was deputed by the king to govern a county or
shire: the title is not used in the British Peerage; his rank is equal
to an earl.
COUNTER. In Heraldry implies contrariety, as in the following
examples:--
COUNTER-CHANGED. The intermixture of metal with colours opposed to
each other.
[Illustration: Counter-changed]
Ex. Per pale, or and azure, on a chevron, three mullets all
counter-changed.
COUNTER SALIENT. Two animals leaping different ways from each other.
[Illustration: Counter salient]
Ex. Argent, two foxes counter salient.
COUNTER PASSANT. Two animals passing the contrary way to each other.
[Illustration: Counter passant]
Ex. Or, two lions passant counter passant gules, the uppermost facing
the sinister side of the escutcheon, both collared sable, garnished
argent.
COUNTER FLORY. Any ordinary ornamented with fleurs-de-luce: the points
of the flowers run alternately in a contrary direction.
[Illustration: Counter flory]
Ex. Or, a pale purpure, flory and counter flory gules.
COUPED. From the French word _couper_, to cut. The cross in the
example is couped, part of it being cut off, so as not to touch the
edges of the shield.
[Illustration: Couped]
Ex. Azure, a cross couped argent.
COUPED. The head or limbs of any animal cut close is called couped.
[Illustration: Couped]
Ex. Argent, a boar's head proper couped.
COUPLE-CLOSE. One of the diminutives of the chevron, half the size of
the chevronel.
[Illustration: Couple-close]
Ex. Argent, three couple-closes interlaced vert.
COURANT. Running.
[Illustration: Courant]
Ex. Argent, a stag proper courant.
CRENELLE. The French heraldic term for embattled. See EMBATTLED.
[Illustration: Crenelle]
CRESCENT. The half moon with its horns turned upwards.
[Illustration: Crescent]
Ex. Azure, a crescent argent.
CREST. The ornament on the upper part of the helmet in Heraldry placed
over coats of arms, either with or without the helmet. By referring to
the title-page of this work the crests of Great Britain will be found
with all the adornments of regal helmets.
The English crest is a crown surmounted by a lion statant guardant
crowned, or.
The Scottish crest is an imperial crown, surmounted by a lion sejant
guardant, displaying two sceptres or.
The Irish crest is an ancient diadem surmounted by an embattled tower,
a stag courant issuing from the portal.
The crest of Wales is a dragon passant guardant, gules.--The whole of
these crests, with mantlings, &c., are emblazoned on the title-page of
this Manual.
[Illustration: Crest]
Crests are usually displayed upon a wreath as in the annexed example,
which is a demi-lion rampant. If a crest this size had been placed
upon an helmet of proportionate size it must have occupied a sixth
part of this page, and the shield containing the arms to be in
proportion considerably larger: in showing the crest without the
helmet proportion is of little consequence. See HELMET, WREATH, and
MANTLING.
CRESTED. A cock or other bird, whose comb is of a different tincture
from the body, is said to be crested. See JOWLOPED.
CRINED. This is said of an animal whose hair is of a different
tincture from its body.
[Illustration: Crined]
Ex. Argent, a mermaid gules, crined or.
CROSIER. The pastoral staff of a bishop or abbot: a very frequent
charge in ecclesiastical arms.
[Illustration: Crosier]
Ex. Or, a crosier gules, in bend.
CROSS. An honourable ordinary, more used as a charge in a coat of arms
than any of the others. During the Crusades for the recovery of the
Holy Land, the troops of the different nations that joined in the
Crusade displayed crosses on their banners and arms: every soldier
bore a cross upon his dress; this was composed of two pieces of list
or riband of equal length, crossing each other at right angles. The
soldiers of France attached their national emblem, the fleur-de-lis,
to the ends of the members of the cross; hence the introduction of the
cross flory. The Crusaders from the Papal dominions placed transverse
pieces on each member of the plain cross, and by this means
transformed it into four small crosses springing from a centre,
forming what is now called the cross-crosslet. It would be impossible
within the limits of this work to give an example of all the crosses
that have been introduced as bearings in coats of arms. Berry, in his
comprehensive work on Heraldry, gives nearly two hundred examples,
without giving all that might be found. The following are the crosses
most used in English Heraldry.
[Illustration: Cross]
Cross
[Illustration: Cross potent]
Cross potent
[Illustration: Cross flory]
Cross flory
[Illustration: Cross crosslet]
Cross crosslet
[Illustration: Cross bottonny]
Cross bottonny
[Illustration: Cross pattee]
Cross pattee
[Illustration: Cross raguly]
Cross raguly
[Illustration: Cross patonce]
Cross patonce
[Illustration: Cross moline]
Cross moline
[Illustration: Cross quadrate]
Cross quadrate
[Illustration: Cross quarter-pierced]
Cross quarter-pierced
[Illustration: Cross of Calvary]
Cross of Calvary
[Illustration: Cross fitchy]
Cross fitchy
[Illustration: Cross patriarchal]
Cross patriarchal
[Illustration: Cross potent rebated]
Cross potent rebated
CURTANA. The pointless sword of mercy is the principal in dignity of
the three swords that are borne naked before the British monarchs at
their coronation.
[Illustration: Curtana]
CROWN AND CORONETS.
[Illustration: Crown, king of England]
The crown of the king of England.
[Illustration: Coronet, prince of Wales]
Coronet of the prince of Wales
[Illustration: Coronet, princess of England]
Of a princess of England
[Illustration: Coronet, marquis]
Of a marquis
[Illustration: Coronet, royal duke]
Of a royal duke
[Illustration: Coronet, earl]
Of an earl
[Illustration: Coronet, duke]
Of a duke
[Illustration: Coronet, viscount]
Of a viscount
[Illustration: Coronet, baron]
Coronet of a baron
DANCETTE. A zig-zag figure with spaces between the points, much larger
than in the indented.
[Illustration: Dancette]
Ex. Argent, a pale, dancette vert.
DEBRUISED. Any animal that has an ordinary placed upon it is said to
be debruised.
[Illustration: Debruised]
Ex. Argent, a lion rampant guardant gules, debruised by a fess azure.
DECRESSANT, or DECRESCENT. A moon in its wane, whose horns are turned
to the sinister side of the escutcheon.
[Illustration: Decressant]
Ex. Azure, a moon decrescent, proper.
DEMI, or DEMY. This particle is always joined to a substantive, and
signifies half; as, a demi-lion, _i.e._ half a lion.
DETRIMENT. The moon is said to be in its detriment when it is
eclipsed.
[Illustration: Detriment]
Ex. Argent, the moon in her detriment sable.
DEXTER. A word used in Heraldry to signify the right side of any
thing.
DIADEM, a circle of gold with points rising from it, worn by ancient
kings as the token of royalty. The diadem of most of the monarchs
of Europe, as represented in ancient statuary, stained glass, and
paintings, resembles the annexed engraving; the kings of England, from
the Conquest to Henry VII., all wore a diadem of this shape.
[Illustration: Diadem]
DIAMOND. The hardest and most valuable of precious stones; it was
formerly used by English heralds to denote black or sable in blazoning
the arms of the nobility.