I am currently researching information about the Wall Coat of Arms. This originally started after I cleaned out some of my father's things and found some information about a family crest. At first I was a bit skeptical and wanted to know how many Wall family crests there where not to mention entitlement. Skipping the possible entitlement issue so that I could at least know what the coat of arms looked like for the various Wall families I began researching. One of the documents that I found in my father's jumbled pile of papers cited The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales by Bernard Burke as such, I decided to start there. I found a copy on Google Books and began looking up Wall. However, I have found 27 entries for for Wall or Wale. In an effort to reduce this number I attempted to look for what would seem to be the most likely (as to where I know I have ancestors from) -- those from Bristol, Gloucestershire and general use. The entry for Wall, or Wale for Bristol, co. Gloucester, co. Essex, Alby, co. Norfolk, co. Rutland, and Reaby, co. Suffolk states, "Ar. on a cross sa. five lions ramp. or. Crest -- A lion ramp. guard. or, supporting a long cross sa." The second possible Bristol entry for Wall is Wall, or Wale Fun. Ent. Ulster's Office, 1629, Dorothy Wall, or Wale, m. first; Michael Quick, of Drogheda, afterwords of Bristol, merchant; and secondly, Thomas Cave, Comptroller of the Customs in Ireland states, "Or, on a cross sa. three lions ramp. in pale betw. two others pass in fess of the seid." Personally, this second entry seems the least likely. There are three general Wall entries. The first reads, "Ar. a lion ramp. gu." The second reads, "Az. two chev. erm." The Third is from Reg. Ulster's Office and reads, "Vert a lion ramp. between. three crosses pattee fitchee ar." However, none of these are the ones I have found in my father's pile of papers that has the family coat of arms on them. That entry is Wall from Johnstown, co. Carlow; descendent from William du Vall, or Wall, who accompanied Richard du Clare, Earl of Pembroke (Strongbow), to Ireland, 1172, and died 27 March, 1210, leaving a son, John Wall, who had four sons, founders of families, viz. ... John, ancestor of Wall, of Ballymalty. Pedigree registered by Hawkins, Ulster, 1716 and the coat of arms description reads "Az. a lion ramp. betw. three crosses crosslet or" the crest is "A nuked arm holding a scymitar, the blade guttee de sang all ppr." and motto "Aut Caesar aut nihil".
What I would like to know is what the other Wall coat of arms look like and what the possibility is that if my ancestor did see a coat of arms, or had one, that he would have seen the last entry? After doing the research I thought it was very interesting/odd that William du Vall had a son known as John Wall which is the name of my ancestor from Bristol and has subsequently been the dominate name for first born males in my family. However, I do know that I can't simply assume that John Wall son of William du Vall had the same name as my ancestor and therefore they must have the same coat of arms...I'm just saying that it's interesting.
