Speaker: Gillian Waters
Date: Monday 15 January 2026
Gillian Waters delivered a detailed and engaging talk exploring heraldry and its value—and limitations—for family historians. The presentation combined historical context with practical guidance, helping members understand how heraldic evidence can support genealogical research when used carefully and correctly.
Overview of heraldry
The talk began by clarifying a common misconception: coats of arms do not belong to surnames, but to individuals and their legitimate descendants. Searching a surname online will often produce multiple, unrelated coats of arms, many of which have no genealogical relevance.
Heraldry developed gradually from early medieval symbols and battlefield identifiers into a formal, regulated system by the late 12th and 13th centuries. Its primary purposes were identification, the display of status, and the assertion of inheritance and lineage.
Early symbols and the rise of true heraldry
Using examples from the Bayeux Tapestry, Gillian explained that early banners, animals, and symbols (such as ravens and dragons) were political or territorial signs, not personal heraldry. True heraldry only emerged when arms became:
Hereditary
Associated with specific individuals
Recognised and regulated
By the high medieval period, coats of arms were essential identifiers on the battlefield, particularly for knights who could expect ransom if captured.
Knighthood, status, and display
The talk traced how knighthood evolved from a military role into a social rank. By the 13th–14th centuries, becoming a knight was expensive, and coats of arms became visual proof of noble status, wealth, and lineage. Heraldic display appeared on:
Shields
Surcoats and horse barding
Helm crests (mainly for tournaments)
These developments laid the foundations for heraldry as a genealogical source.
Canting arms and visual clues
Early coats of arms often used visual puns (canting arms) based on surnames or occupations. Examples drawn from church brasses and effigies showed how these designs can provide useful hints, while still requiring confirmation from documentary sources.
Quartering and heiress inheritance
A major focus of the talk was quartering, one of the most valuable heraldic features for genealogists. Quartered shields record marriages to heiresses, showing how land and status passed through female lines. Importantly:
Not every ancestor appears
Only those bringing inheritance are shown
A single shield can represent several generations of marriage alliances
This makes heraldry particularly useful for researching medieval and early modern landed families.
Marks of cadency
Gillian explained marks of cadency, used to distinguish different branches of the same family:
Label – eldest son
Crescent – second son
Mullet – third son
Martlet – fourth son
These marks can be powerful genealogical clues but were not always used consistently. Incorrect or politically sensitive use—especially in royal descent—could have serious consequences, as illustrated by Tudor-era examples.
Women and heraldry
The talk covered how women are represented heraldically:
Unmarried women use a lozenge showing their father’s arms
Married women’s arms are impaled with their husband’s
Heiresses transmit arms to descendants, leading to quartering
Monuments and memorials often preserve these relationships visually, making them valuable research sources.
Heraldic visitations and their pitfalls
Heralds’ visitations from the Tudor and Stuart periods were discussed as an important but problematic source. While they can include pedigrees and arms, Gillian warned that:
Some families exaggerated or fabricated ancestry
Coats of arms could effectively be “bought”
Legendary descent (including from King Arthur) was commonly claimed
Visitations should therefore be treated as starting points, not proof.
Practical guidance for members
Members were advised to:
Use heraldry as supporting evidence only
Look for confirmation in wills, land records, inquisitions, and legal documents
Pay close attention to quartering, impalement, and cadency
Be sceptical of surname-based coat of arms claims
Conclusion
The talk demonstrated that heraldry, when properly understood, can be a rich and informative tool for genealogists, particularly for tracing inheritance, marriage alliances, and social status. Used uncritically, however, it can easily mislead. Care, context, and corroboration are essential.