Copley of Bredon, Wordestershire

[johnxyz]

I'd like to understand how the Copleys of Bredon, Worcestershire fit into the wider family which is predominantly Yorkshire and Surrey.  Can anyone help by casting light on the armorials on this plaque of 1593 in Bredon Church. The Cross Moline is Copley, it's the others I would like pointers for.

[Maiden Stone]

Did you intend to spell the county name as Worcestershire in the thread title or was it a deliberate mistake?

[KGarrad]

"Sable three bars argent" is the arms of Haughton of Haughton, Cheshire.
(As seen in the 3rd quarter.)

Or a fess embattled sable is the arms of Abberbury, Oxfordshire and Suffolk and Adderbury, Sussex
(As seen in the 2nd quarter)


Both taken from Burkes General Armory.

[KGarrad]

Taking the coat of arms on the left (as we look), the right-hand side is "party per chevron argent and sable, in chief 2 cocks" (or game-cocks, moor cocks or some such! ).

But I'm not finding anything to match?

[Liz_in_Sussex]

Hi,

It doesn't answer your question (yet) but the arms on the tomb are, in the centre, those of Thomas Copley himself and the ones on the right as you look at it: his, impaled with those of his first wife, who predeceased him (Margaret Newport), and those on the left are his impaled with those of his second wife, Eleanor Middlemore.

The central arms (Thomas') which are quartered are puzzling because the 2nd quarter appears to be for Abberbury (Suffolk) but I can't find any reference to that in the Copley history. The 3rd quarter is possibly Eaton of Worcestershire, or Haughton of Lancs amongst other places. But nothing to link them to Yorkshire or Surrey??

Although there appear to have bene several genealogies drawn up for the Copley's they don't seem to reflect those arms ... perhaps they were not "officially" inherited in the conventional way?

Liz

[Liz_in_Sussex]

KGarrad - I hadn't seen your reply ... yes I agree - moorcocks the arms of Middlemore I think which fits with it being for his second wife who would be put on the left?

Liz

ADDED - maybe a bit of canting going on with the MOORcocks and MiddleMORE?

[KGarrad]

Ah! Yes!
Middlemore (Edgbaston, co. Warwick; the heiress of Robert Middlemore, Esq., of Edgbaston, in. 1719, John Gage, Esq., of Firle, co. Sussex).
Per chev. ar. and sa. in chief two moorcocks ppr.
Crest—In grass and flags a moorcock all ppr.


The arms on the right (as we look at it) contain, impaled on the right-hand side:
"gules a canton argent", but it isn't clear what the charge is in the canton?

I think it may be Newport (co. Stafford). Gu. on a canton ar. a fleur-de-lis sa.

[Liz_in_Sussex]

Yes I think it is Newport - she was Thomas' first wife! Margaret Newport, daughter of George.

Gules on a canton Argent a fleur de lis Sable.

Liz

[KGarrad]

KGarrad - I hadn't seen your reply ... yes I agree - moorcocks the arms of Middlemore I think which fits with it being for his second wife who would be put on the left?

Liz

ADDED - maybe a bit of canting going on with the MOORcocks and MiddleMORE?

Not sure what the correct protocol would be for displaying the arms of his 2 wives?

The wife's arms are placed on the sinister (right-hand) side, unless she was of much higher rank then her husband, in which case her arms were placed on the dexter (left-hand) side.