.......Classical Heraldry .......

Arms of the 13th and 14th Centuries (2)

Sir Rafe de Tosny ~ Argent a maunch Gules. (The name can be spelt as Toeny and Touny.) This family was one of those with strong Flemish connections that settled during the 11th century in the Seine valley, earning there a reputation as castle builders. After the Norman Conquest they built several in England, notably Berkeley and Stafford. Sir Rafe was captured by the French at Belgard and suffered inhumane treatment in prison.

Sir John de Gifford ~ Gules three lozenges conjoined in fess Argent. The names of John de Gifford and Roger de Mortimer (below) were included because they led the men who slew Llywelyn, Prince of Wales, and sent his head to London. However, that warrior was another John de Gifford, a knight banneret who was later a baron, and who bore Gules three lions passant Argent.

William III, Count of Hainault ~ Or four lions rampant quarterly 1 and 4 Sable, 2 and 3 Gules. The artist attributed these arms to Florent, Count of Holland. His successors a few years later (descendants of his sister) succeeded to Hainault and thus could bear these arms, but in the time of Florent they belonged only to William III of Hainault, the father of Philippa, the queen of Edward III. (Note the benefit from the fuller-bodied shield.)

Sir Roger de Mortimer ~ Barry a chief paly and corners gyronny Or and Azure, an inescutcheon Ermine. The other knight (see de Gifford above) credited in the annals of the time with the death of Llywelyn, Roger de Mortimer, subsequently became a baron and built the castle at Chirk. The artist confused him with Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March, lover of the queen of Edward II, who bore these arms with the inescutcheon Argent not Ermine.

Sir Thomas de Rokeby ~Argent a chevron Sable between three rooks proper. Edward III, 14 years old and newly crowned, took his army in search of marauding Scots and, failing to locate them, offered a reward of £100 of land to the man who would bring him news of their location. Rokeby, out scouting, was captured, told the Scots of his mission, and was sent back by them to be rewarded and knighted by the King.

Sir John de St John ~ Argent on a chief Gules two mullets Or. Sir John de St John served as the King's emissary and/or as a soldier in Wales, Spain, Scotland, Flanders and France. Both father and son were captured, with Sir Rafe de Tosny (above), at the battle of Belgard, but were released after imprisonment in Paris. The son was summoned to parliament by writ in 1299 and is thus held by modern doctrine to have become the first Lord St John.

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The Shape of the Shield ~ Part One

The Shape of the Shield ~ Part Two

The Shape of the Shield ~ Part Three

The July-August 2000 Contents page

© 2000 The Baronage Press and Pegasus Associates Ltd

From the St Petersburg Collection

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