ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1563
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1563
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From: 
13 Mar 1999


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked us about the arms "Argent, three gouttes de sang".  You wanted
to know whether this was historically good style for 15th or 16th century
England, and wanted to know whether any notable persons ever bore these
arms. 

Your arms are very nice and in very good style for Renaissance English
heraldry.  We found the following examples of gouttes in period English
arms:

  "Per chevron argent and sable, three goutes counterchanged" [1]
  "Argent, three goutes de poix" attributed to CROSBIE [2]
  "Argent, 15 goutes de sang (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)" for LEMMING, Essex [2]
  "Argent, six goutes and on a chief gules three leopard's faces Or"
    for THORNDIKE, Great Carleton, Lincolnshire [2]

Unfortunately, there is a registered set of arms in the SCA which would
prevent registration of your design [3].  If you want to register, you'd
have to get permission to conflict, or you could consider one of these
alternatives, which are equally authentic: 

  "Argent, gutty de sang"  (White shield patterned with red gouttes)
  "Argent, six gouttes de sang"  (The gouttes are in rows of 3, 2, & 1)

We hope this has been helpful, and that we can continue to assist you. 
Arval Benicoeur, Blaise de Cormeilles, Caelin on Andrede, Pedro de
Alcazar, Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali, and Aryanhwy Prytydes merch
Catmael Caermyrdin contributed to this letter.

In service,
--Walraven van Nijmegen
Academy of S. Gabriel

[1] Oswald Barron, "Randall Holme's Book", _The Ancestor_ vols. iii
    (1902), pp. 185-213; iv. 225-50; v. 175-90; vii. 184-215; ix. 159-80.
    (mid-15th c. unattributed coat)

[2] John W. Papworth, "Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials" 
    (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977)

[3] The conflict is Wilfried Rudiger Quellenmann: "Barry wavy vert and
    argent, three gouttes de sang".  The only difference between these
    arms and yours is the background color, which is insufficient
    difference under the SCA College of Arms rules.