Coat Of Arms

Heraldry is both an art and a science. Its beginnings come out of the political and social structure which was prevalent in both the British Isles and Europe from around 1100 A.D. However, it is far from being obsolete and heraldry is very much alive and well. In fact legitimate coats of arms are more widely used throughout the world today than ever before in history and like logos they have an owner.

Whilst many people are entranced by the beauty of heraldry, they are not always familiar with the meanings and traditions behind the coat of arms and, therefore, often misunderstand and even abuse this rich cultural heritage. A coat of arms is usually granted, certified, registered or otherwise recognized as belonging to one individual alone, and that only his direct descendants with proven lineage can be recognised as eligible to inherit the arms.

The commonly seen "Coat of arms for the Name of Jones, Smith, or whatever," attached to family trees or the ones that can be bought by mail order or in souvenir shops, represents no more than improper and illegitimate armorial bearings. To buy and bear these commercially produced arms is to claim for oneself a direct kinship which has only the most remote possibility of validity, and is thereby to deny one's own legitimate and rightful line of descent. Such infraction of armorial regulation and custom constitutes a flagrant abuse of arms which no knowledgeable and honourable person would intentionally commit.

Sadly, most of the heraldic abuse in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world is done by honest, well-meaning persons. They greatly admire the heraldic tradition, but in their desire to participate in that tradition they inadvertently abuse heraldic arms due to their lack of familiarity with heraldic regulations and customs. While such armorial abuse does not apparently violate state or federal statute in the United States at this time, still to usurp the use of another person's coat of arms is highly improper and is a dishonest practice. Such conduct disregards the regulations of all recognized heraldry and violates the rights of the legitimate owners of the arms.

In England and Wales misuse of Arms is covered by the law ‘the laws of arms’ see the College of Arms website for further information
Please note we only provide a Family Shield or Coat of Arms (Heraldry) with your tree if we find that you happen to be entitled to one. Should you wish to obtain your own personal Coat of Arms we are happy to assist you with this at an additional cost. Please contact us directly for a quotation. Please see:-
College Of Arms
The American College of Heraldry