Heraldic crests

[Lady Kitty23]

I might be related to the Downes family who owned Bodney Hall manor in Bodney Norfolk in the 1500s I would love to see their heraldic crest

[KGarrad]

The "crest" is simply the piece that sits on the top of a coat-of-arms (it used to be on top of the helmet!).

If you google Downes coat-of-arms, you should see some images.

But, please remember that you aren't allowed to use the c-o-a unless you can prove links to the person who was granted the arms.
There is no such thing as a "family crest"!

See: http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/resources/faqs

[Belize]

You might also find this resource helpful! If not the Downes family then you can probably find another family name that you might be related to. Take KGarrad's warning into mind!

[Lady Kitty23]

Thank you  i will bear it in mind

[MaecW]

The Visitation of Norfolk 1552 gives the Arms of Downe of Bodney as :
Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, three pallets wavy gules, a mullet for difference;
                2, Six mullets , 3,2,and 1, gules; 
                3, Sable, three bars argent, in chief three annulets of the second.
and notes that the Coats are confirmed by Clarenceux (King of Arms)

In layman's terms the 1st and 4th quarters are a silver shield with three vertical wavy red stripes and, in the top centre, a small star-like sign which indicates that this is a junior branch of the Downes family. The other quarters will be the Arms of heiresses who had married into the family, probably Tillis and Hogan, but you may want to check that out.

It seems the Downes moved on to Ireland as I see their Arms cropping up there as well.

I don't have the capacity to draw these arms for you at present, but perhaps SKS on here can do it for us !

Maec

PS. Sorry, I've just realised you already have the Downes' Arms as you are using them as your motif .  I'll claim old age !

[Regorian]

Only the recipient of a coat of arms are allowed to use it unless with a hereditiary title. William Shakespeare  was made a gentleman and granted a coat of arms by King James I. His descendants through his daughters would not be entitled.

[MaecW]

Sorry, Regorian, but that is not correct, at least in England and Wales : Scots law may be different.
There is no direct linkage between a title and a Coat of Arms, very many people are armigerous without having a title, and there may well be people who have a title but no arms.
The only requirement to apply for a grant of Arms is that the grantee "be of good standing" (and can afford to pay for it, of course  )

As Shakespeare's son pre-deceased him, his eldest daughter, Susanna, was his armigerous heiress and her husband showed the Shakespeare arms impaled (i.e. side by side ) with his own. (see Wikipedia entry "John Hall, physician" for an illustration.

Maec

[Regorian]

OK Maec, thanks for setting the record straight. I thought that mentioning Shakespeare would set off a hurricane of Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare posts, I'm impish like that. Some very heavyweight people have doubted the authorship.

Michael Wood produced a programme for television back in the 1980's. It's on You Tube. Very interesting, including no 'missing years', William lived with high status families in the North West who were Roman Catholics and under government surveillance. Tudor England was a police state. I presume the Shakespeares were RC, if only closet.

William may have learned about the ways of the great and good from them, as well as being a genius.