Debased Heraldry
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Debased heraldry is
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...
containing complex, non-standard and non-heraldic charges. They cannot be correctly drawn from the
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 an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
alone, as is the case with the purest form of heraldry. Most debased heraldry was created after the 17th century, and in general early heraldry dating from the start of the heraldic era (–1215), deemed the purest and best, utilises simple and standard charges. However some early heraldry was debased, for example the arms of the
Bishop of Chichester The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East Sussex, East and West Sussex. The Episcopal see, see is based in t ...
, overly complex in nature. The original purpose of heraldry was for a knight to identify himself clearly by a unique and clear design on his shield. Debased heraldry treats the shield rather as a canvas for the display of complex art work. The small space available on a shield is thus not ideally suited to this function.
George Thomas Clark Colonel George Thomas Clark (26 May 1809 – 31 January 1898) was a British surgeon and engineer. He was particularly associated with the management of the Dowlais Iron Company. He was also an antiquary and historian of Glamorgan. Biography ...
(1809–1898) wrote as follows on the subject in his well-regarded article on
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...
in the
Encyclopaedia Britannica An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...
(9th & 10th editions):
"Of debased heraldry there is no lack of examples, and a few are ancient. Thomas de Insula (
Thomas de Lisle Thomas de Lisle (–1361) ( Latinised to ''Thomas de Insula'' ("Thomas from the island") was a medieval Bishop of Ely. Lisle was elected to Ely on 15 July 1345 and consecrated in July 1345. He had his servants burn down some of the houses be ...
(–1361)),
Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire (with the exception of the Soke of Peterborough), together with ...
(1345–61), bore ''Gules, three
bezant In the Middle Ages, the term bezant (, from Latin ) was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, all derived ultimately from the Roman . The word itself comes from the Greek Byzantion, the ancient name of Constantinop ...
s, on each a crowned king, robed sable, doubled ermine, sustaining a covered cup in his right hand and a sword in his left, both or''. No doubt, like the arms of the Sees of Chichester and
Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
, this extraordinary coat was meant to be painted on a banner. Camden (1551–1623) granted a great number of coats, mostly of a complex character, and since his time heraldic taste has not improved. Tetlow (granted 1760 (of Houghton, Manchester, Lancashire) bore (as crest): ''On a book erect gules, clasped and leaved or, a silver penny argent, thereon written the Lord’s Prayer; at the top of the book a dove proper, in his beak a crowquill pen sable''. Other grants show negroes working in a plantation, Chinese porters carrying cinnamon, etc. The grants to
Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...
(d.1805) and his gallant captains, and to the elder Herschel (
William Herschel Frederick William Herschel ( ; ; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Herschel. Born in the Electorate of Hanover ...
(1738–1822)), are utterly unheraldic. Lord Chesterfield (
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (22 September 169424 March 1773) was a British statesman, diplomat, man of letters, and an acclaimed wit of his time. Early life He was born in London to Philip Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Chesterfie ...
(1694–1773)), correcting the
Garter A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking f ...
of his day, remarked, "You foolish man, you don’t understand your own foolish business."
{{Gallery , Arms_of_William_Herschel.svg, Arms of
William Herschel Frederick William Herschel ( ; ; 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German-British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Herschel. Born in the Electorate of Hanover ...
(1738–1822), an example of debased heraldry, including the non-heraldic complex feature of his '' Herschelian telescope'' , CrestOfTetlow OfHoughton ManchesterLancashire Granted1760.svg, Notoriously debased crest of Tetlow (1760), with the
Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...
written on a penny


References

Heraldry