Dow coat of arms

[kiwigumboots]

Can anyone please tell me why the variation in these two coat of arms? What does it mean? Would they be the same family? Thanks

[Kiltpin]

Can anyone please tell me why the variation in these two coat of arms? What does it mean? Would they be the same family? Thanks

Hi Kiwi,

The two shields are the same, so the same person. The bottom image is typically generated by what is called a "bucket shop", so the crest is usually generic and artistically just for show. That is to say the crest would not be the official one.

Regards

Chas

[kiwigumboots]

Thank you for your help

[KGarrad]

A couple of general points.

1. In England & Wales for certain, and I believe alo in Scotland, a coat-of-arms belongs to an individual, and NOT to a family name.
The College of Arms says:
Q. Do coats of arms belong to surnames?

A. No. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals. For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past.

2. In Scotland it is still illegal to use a coat-of-arms to which you have no rights to use.

[Kiltpin]

I think that we should differentiate between "arms of a name" (bucketshop stock in trade) and family arms, which are now acceptable.

I have attached a PDF which is an extract from the December 2007 Heraldry Gazette.

In a reply to Ralpf Brocklebank, Garter Principal King of Arms, Mr Peter Gwynn-Jones states that cadency is no longer supported by the College and that “family arms” are now the norm.

Regards

Chas

[ThrelfallYorky]

The reply of KGarrad is what I had always understood to be the case. I know that very few of any branches of my families have ever been granted Arms, and none now are at all entitled to bear them, and I love the description of "Bucketshop" arms. In my view this devalues the whole idea of them.
-And how else is the College of Heralds supposed to earn their crust?

[KGarrad]

And, just before the obvious question gets asked . . .

The arms in my avatar were from a John Garrad, who had no family to pass them on to. He died in the 18th Century.
As such, they are defunct

So, I am not infringing anyone's rights by using them
(and I thought they looked nice, too)

[Skoosh]

A bit of punning on this name, the pigeon shown is of course a "doo" in Scotland & Dow was/is pronounced "doo!"

Skoosh.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Would two pigeons be a "Dodo"? I think most of the punning images on heraldry are fascinating, actually, often so clever.