ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1546 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1546 ************************************ 14 May 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a 13th-15th century Englishman. You also asked our opinion of your husband's design for his arms. We're sorry it has taken us so long to answer your question. Here is what we have found. is a Welsh masculine name, related to a Scottish name or . Either could have been used by a man in your husband's period. In particular, the form is recorded in a medieval Gaelic document in Scotland [1, 2, 3]. is a Gaelic patronymic byname. A patronymic is a surname that identified someone as his father's child. In period Gaelic, a man would have been called only because his father's name was . A man named is recorded near Galway in 1538, using an English spelling of his name [4]. This is the only Scottish example of that we found. It is possible that this man was an Irish immigrant, and that the name is not native to Scotland. is a reasonable Scottish Gaelic name for your husband's entire period. If he moved to an English- or Scots-speaking region, he might have been known there as or . (Scots was a language closely related to English, spoken in the Scottish Lowlands from the 14th century on.) The spelling is actually rather uncommon in English and Scots in our period; or are more typical. The heraldic design you described can be blazoned "Per pale gules and Or, a chevron inverted counterchanged between a boar's head and a ship azure sailed counterchanged." We cannot recommend this design as good re-creation of English or Scottish heraldry. The chevron inverted is very unusual charge in our period. We've seen scattered examples throughout Europe, but only late in our period [5]. We do not recommend using it unless your husband is aiming for 15th or 16th century arms. If he does use it, then we recommend he stick with the simplest possible designs, since it is such an unusual charge. "Per pale gules and Or, a chevron inverted counterchanged" would be a fairly good choice. As far as we can tell, your husband could register it. We don't recommend placing a charge below the chevron: The chevron should reach nearly to the bottom of the shield, so there shouldn't be room to fit a charge below it. A single charge in chief would not be unreasonable, but a simpler design containing just the chevron would be the best choice. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek, Rouland Carre, and Blaise de Cormeilles. For the Academy, Iona Lynch and Arval Benicoeur 14 May 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, "Concerning the Names Morgan, Morgana, Morgaine, Murghein, Morrigan, and the Like" (WWW: The Problem Names Archive, 1997). http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/problem_names/morgan.html [2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.nn. Morgund, MacMorgon, MacTurk. [3] Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte, "A Simple Guide to Constructing 12th Century Scottish Bynames", (WWW: Privately published, 18 June 1997). http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~his016/simple_sc_gaelic_names_12.html [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. McTurk. [5] We found two British examples. Strangway's Roll (c.1450) lists "Or, a chevron inverted sable" Woodcock, Thomas, Janet Grant, & Ian Graham, _Dictionary of British Arms_, vol II. (The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1996), p.277. A 16th century English heraldic text has "d'Or, a Chevron versie d'Azure, in Chiefe, an Eagle displayed with twoo heades of the seconde, membred, and beaked Gules." This second example may be an illustrative invention rather than an actual coat. Bossewell, John, _Works of Armorie (London, 1572; facsimile reprint Amsterdam and New York: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd. and Da Capo Press, 1969), folio 37.