Nairn coat of arms

[clontarf]

I am investigating the arms of Capt. Fasham Nairn, Esq (1731-1810) of West Hoathly in Sussex.

I found two English Nairn(e) arms in the General Armoury of England, Wales etc:

Nairn (cos. Kent and Sussex).  Paly of three sa. and ar. a chaplet of four roses leaved ppr.
Nairne (England).   Per pale sa. and ar. on a chaplet betw. three cinquefoils four roundels all counterchanged.

Because of the Sussex connection the first seems a likely candidate to be those of Fasham Nairn.  Basically I think this is a shield of vertical silver and black stripes with a garland or wreath of leaves centrally placed with four equally spaced roses (N, S, E, W) on the garland.

I think the second description means a shield with silver left half and black right half,  garland with roundels instead of roses and surrounded by three five petalled flowers.

I have put a drawing of what I think these two might look like in "Nairn coat of arms" thread in the general Sussex board.

In his will, Fasham Nairn says that in the event of William Aveling or his two sisters become entitled to inherit the estate they should "apply for and obtain an Act of Parliament or the King's Sign Manual or take such other means as may be necessary for assuming and taking upon him her or them respectively my surname (and arms) of Nairn".  I am fairly sure you cannot simply take over another person's arms, hence the King's decree that "That he may bear the arms of Nairn quarterly with those of Aveling;  and that the said surname and arms may also be taken and borne by his issue; such arms being first duly exemplified according to the laws of arms, and recorded in the Heralds’ Office".

Would there be any significance in the order of the quartering?  If Nairn is on the top left (and bottom right) quarter is this because William now bears the name Nairn?  If Aveling is in the top left quarter would this be treating William as the product of an Aveling father and a Nairn mother?

How do I engage the Royal College of Arms to give me details of the grants to Fasham Nairn and William Aveling Nairn (I know it can be very expensive)?   I read somewhere that a pedigree of several generations had to be supplied when registering arms.  I am hoping to discover what the surname Fasham Nairn's mother Susannah was.   I think it is probably Fasham - related to the family that lived in the Isle of Thanet in Kent.  Fasham Nairn's ancestors lived at Wingham, Barham and Sandwich in Kent.

If either of the two designs is Fasham Nairn's, then the lack of a second son charge seems to indicate to me that these arms are not inherited but an original grant to him.   He was the second son of Rev. William Nairn, who was in turn the second son of a third son.  If Rev William Nairn had arms then they would have been passed onto Fasham Nairn's nephew, the Rev. Fasham Nairn who actually outlived Capt Nairn.   I suspect Fasham Nairn may have applied for a grant of arms after he retired from the East India Company and settled at his country estate of Barnets Place, West Hoathly.

Another question I have is what would happen if William Aveling did not already have arms.  Would he first have to create his version of an Aveling coat of arms and then quarter it with Nairn, or would he just difference the arms of Fasham?

I believe William Aveling is a second or third cousin of the Aveling whose arms featured in a discussion on this board about three years ago.

[KGarrad]

See this page for College of Arms:
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/services/proving-a-right-to-arms

When quartering arms, the senior (male) line's arms go in the 1st (top left) and 4th (bottom right) quarters, with the wife's arms going in 2nd and 3rd quarters.

If you look at the Royal Coat of Arms (as used in England) you will see the England Lions in 1st and 4th quarters, Scotland in 2nd quarter, and Ireland in 3rd quarter.
The Royal Arms (as used in Scotland) have the Scottish Lion 1st and 4th, with England in 2nd quarter.

[clontarf]

Thank you.

I now have a description of the Nairn/Aveling arms:

"unto the said William Nairn the Arms following that is to say Quarterly First and Fourth Quarterly Sable and Argent a Chaplet charged with four Quarter foils counterchanged for Nairn second and third azure a Gryphon passant Or on a Chrel engrailed of the last A Crois Croislet atchee of the field for Aveling And for the Crest of Nairn on a wreath of the colours a dexter arm embowed in armour properthe hand holding a chaplet vert charged with four quarter foils argent encircling an estoile or for the crest of Aveling on a wreath of the colours a gryphon passant or wings azure with a pied coronet and the dexter foreclaw resting on a croi crosslet fitchee of the last"

Is the estoile in the description of the Nairn crest significant?  Could it mean the arms were originally granted to a third son?

[KGarrad]

You have to read the blazon properly!

The "estoile" (or star) is referred to thus:
And for the Crest of Nairn on a wreath of the colours a dexter arm embowed in armour properthe hand holding a chaplet vert charged with four quarter foils argent encircling an estoile or

So, that's an arm, in armour, holding a green wreath/garland on which are quatrefoils (4 leaved clover shapes), the garland circling a 6-ponted star.

Younger sons have their coats of arms marked by a "difference" - in the case of 3rd sons, it is usually a mullet - which is a star with a hole in the middle (pierced). Like a spur wheel
But this difference would be on the arms itself, and not part of the crest.
|Remember that the arms themselves can be displayed without the crest.


At least - that's my interpretation

[Liz_in_Sussex]

 

it is usually a mullet - which is a star with a hole in the middle (pierced). Like a spur wheel

I saw the photo of the arms (with crest) yesterday at WSRO - it is tiny and in black and white, but this describes exactly part of the crest.  There is nothing like this in the arms themselves.

Liz

[davidbappleton]

Is the estoile in the description of the Nairn crest significant?  Could it mean the arms were originally granted to a third son?

Differences, such as the five-pointed mullet for a third son, were always placed on the arms, and sometimes also on the crest.  If there is no such difference on the arms, then the estoile (six-rayed star) is not a mark of difference but is an integral part of the crest.

David

[clontarf]

Just to clarify - Liz, are you saying the star you saw in the centre of the chaplet in the crest was a five pointed star, not a six pointed wavy armed star?

[Liz_in_Sussex]

  I'm sorry - the photo was far too small and indistinct to be able to tell whether it was the five pointed or six pointed star you describe.  But the arm was reaching out holding the little garland but beyond that - just a splodge I'm afraid. 

I was wondering this morning, though, whether the photo is of a plaque in West Hoathly Church - it is possible that looking around the Church I would be able to spot the arms with or without the crest.  If I am passing during the week I will pop in.   

Liz

[clontarf]

This is my non-expert interpretation of the description of the crest.