A Brief History

The Heraldic Language

As heraldry flourished and became regulated it was necessary to have a language whereby a herald could accurately describe coats of arms, and that his descriptions should be understood by other heralds. The language was Norman French. Heraldry, therefore, is first of all a system of personal devices (i.e. symbols on the shield) appertaining to an individual and continuing, with certain restrictions, for his descendants. It is therefore a hereditary distinction. It is also an art.

Other Heraldic Usage

Heraldry began as a specific mark of the fighting man and continues to be to this day. Yet coats of arms are not exclusive to the fighting man. Most universities and colleges have their individual Coats of Arms or symbolic arrangement which heralds the school and its principles. Clubs, corporations, churches, fraternities, agencies as well as city and state offices employ the equivalent of a Coat of Arms of some form. When you claim use of a Coat of Arms, you are in essence declaring to all the world that you belong to some family, group or organisation.
Name Seekers is a rapidly growing organisation based on many years of experience in the retailing of first and last name histories, coats of arms, and poetry, a business which requires very specialised research skills, production facilities and resources.

  This page was last updated on 01-Jul-2004.