Auguste Georges Vachon, is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:
* to control and initiate armorial matters;
* to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state;
* to conserve a ...
. He held the post of
Saint-Laurent Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the
Canadian Heraldic Authority from its foundation in 1988 until his retirement in 2000. Since then, he has served as
Outaouais Herald of Arms Emeritus.
Auguste Vachon holds a master's degree in history from the University of Ottawa. He joined the National Archives of Canada in 1967 as keeper of heraldic collections. With the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988, he was appointed Saint-Laurent Herald and Registrar, a post he held until his retirement in 2000. The governor general of Canada then named him Outaouais Herald Emeritus. He has advanced the knowledge of Canadian emblems by numerous publications in Canada and abroad, as a speaker at several international congresses and by doing research for exhibitions in the field. The
Canadian Museum of History
The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage ...
has acquired the large collection of heraldic ceramics (more than 1100 pieces) assembled by him and his wife, Paula Gornescu-Vachon, a gift that the Canadian government declared to be of national importance.
Coat of arms
Auguste Vachon was granted arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on May 28, 1992. The
arms are
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...
ed:''Sable a triple-towered Castle Or windows Gules portcullis shut Sable flaming Gules in chief two Suns Or'', and for the
crest ''Above a helmet mantled Sable doubled Or wreathed of these colours a demi bull Gules accorné unguled ringed gorged of oak leaves and belled all Or holding in its dexter hoof a magnifying glass proper rim and handle Sable''.
On April 3, 2001 Vachon was granted
supporters
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up.
Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the c ...
as an honourable augmentation to his arms in recognition of his distinguished service to Canadian heraldry: ''Upon a grassy mound set with gloriosa Daisies (Rudbeckia hirta) Or two Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) proper''.
References
Canadian Heraldic AuthorityEntry in the ''Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada'' for the grant of supporters
External link
Heraldic Science Héraldique - website of Auguste & Paula Vachon
(in French and English)
Living people
Canadian officers of arms
Canadian Heraldic Authority
Fellows of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
Year of birth missing (living people)
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