9. But I went to the mall and a store sold me a Coat of Arms for my surname. Is this my family Coat of Arms?:
- Allow us to let an expert answer this question. The following is an excerpt from a book entitled "The Elements of Heraldry" published in 1866 by a learned scholar on the subject of heraldry. It seems that after the civil war heraldry began a small revival, but little was known by the generation of the time about the real science of the matter, so this scholar wrote a handbook for the average American interested in heraldry and family heritage...
Here's what he had to say:
". . . it is necessary to state, in the most explicit manner, that there is no such thing as a coat-of-arms belonging to the bearers of any particular surname."
He goes on to state:
"No one now supposes that all Browns or Joneses or Smiths or Robinsons trace their descent from one man.. Still, it has been much more difficult to convince a Brown, Jones, Smith or Robinson, that he was not entitled to a coat-of-arms 'belonging to his name.' "
- This argument is exactly why modernheraldry.com was created. We provide a place for people of all backgrounds to begin their own a heraldic traditions within their own country. Our site strives to guide those interested in commissioning a design to one that will truly speak for them personally...
- As for the guy in the mall, he is operating a "bucket shop". Check out question 24 for more details...