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.