"completed"

[giblaw]

hi there  is there any site that portrays the arms that the college of arms holds as the they charge a lot of money just to get a copy of a familys coat of arms or a transcription of a pedigree that is kept there it makes me laugh that  you have to pay money to see your own families crest and information any solutions to this problem would be welcome  chris

[PaulineJ]

You mean a site to view the crest associated with a particular surname?

(not all of that surname being entiled to use it of course)..

Pauline

[giblaw]

hi pauline yes a surname that they have a pedigree and coat of arms for as i have contacted them and they say they are not allowed to photograph or photocopy the pedigree but will allow one of there staff to do a hand copy transcipt for 75 pounds even if you go there which is a bit difficult as i am in australia at the moment they say you can  not copy or write down the information so i guess they have us over a barrell the name i am after which is my great-great grandfather Francis Watts  FSA  who was a member of the queens bodyguard  abt 1846-1854 any suggestions. chris

[willow154]

Hi Chris,
I don't know much about the college of arms, but I see there are some Watts genealogies on the Society of Genealogists website:
www.sog.org.uk
*Just click on SOGCAT
Whether they are connectd with your family, I cannot tell. If they are, then this may be a cheaper route to getting the information you need.
There may be members of the Society, on rootschat,  who may be able to help you get a copy if you find one is relevant.
Good luck,
Paulene

[Springbok]

Many years ago my mother and I took a Heraldry Course, and were taken on a visit to the College .

It was not until a couple of years ago when I had occasion to contact them and spoke to one of the duty Heralds, that I found that the College has no Goverment funding.
It  depends entirely on hefty charges for searches, registering confirmed family trees,(which have to then be re-searched to verify, then written in to the archives etc) donations from  Livery Companies to keep going.
The Heralds (I believe )get no remuneration and would guess that they get no expenses either.
Like any other National heritage whether it be a castle , stately home which should be preserved there is only so much money to go round, and some do better than others.

Spring

[giblaw]

  hi pauline hi spring   i have had a quick look at the sog site but i think the watts families might not connect  and i feel slightly embarrased as i did not know all the details about the efforts of the college of arms and plan to send off for the written transcription thank you both for your help and i must say what a great help this site rootschat is.  chris

[Springbok]

Not surprising Gib as they are rather superior in their attitude and I felt very menial!!

I was very surprised to hear how precarious their funding was , as I'd always thought of them in the context of The Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) of The Tower of London, or Windsor Castle. all the really stable institutions and much of the basis of our heritage.(tourist and memory wise) And suddenly there was a "wobble"

I have to accept that whilst I have grown up steeped in British history , and want to see these institutions helped to continue ,there are others who have other more immediate concerns so it is the most vocal who will win. Especially in this financial climate

Spring

[Stephen J F Plowman]

Chris

For what it is worth I have found;

Harleian Society’s Grantees of Arms;

WATTS, …. FSA, a Gent-at-Arms, of London (? Francis, of Vincent Square, Westminster),[1843] Vol.XLVII, fol.44

Burke’s General Armory;

Watts (Francis Watts, Esq., of Vincent Square, Westminster). Ermine on a chief Gules three arrows conjoined one in pale and two in saltire points downwards Or barbed and flighted Argent between two lions rampant of the last.
Crest: A greyhound sejant Argent collared Azure and resting the dexter paw upon a portcullis Or.
Motto: - Va presto ma sano.

Does that assist at all?

[Stephen J F Plowman]

A quick play around and I've put this together;