ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1831 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1831 ************************************ 1 Nov 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an mid-14th century Englishman. You also asked whether the arms "Chevronelly Or and azure" are appropriate for this period. This letter is a brief answer to your question. Your name is nearly perfect for your period. was very common, of course [1]. The place modernly called had a slightly different name in period: It was called in 1277. We found the names (also ) in 1291-2, in Gloucstershire 1327, 1345 [2, 3]. Most of these examples use the French "the" or "of the", which suggests that the place was called in English. We therefore expect that your name would have been "Edward of The Flint" in English, but that it would have been written . Your arms fit your period perfectly: Examples of "chevronny" or "chevronelly" appear in English rolls of arms as early as the 12th century [5]. Unfortunately, if you want to register your arms you'll have to avoid conflict with the Society arms of Alfonso Henriques de Montoya, "Per chevron azure and Or" and with the arms "Chevronelly argent and azure", recently submitted for registration from the West Kingdom. Adding a plain chief is one way to do avoid these conflicts without disturbing the design much: "Chevronelly Or and azure, a chief gules". A chief is the upper third of the shield, in this case red. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Rouland Carre, Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 1 Nov 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Edward. [2] Franklin, Peter, _The Taxpayers of Medieval Gloucestershire: An Analysis of the 1327 Lay Subsidy Roll with a New Edition of its Text_ (Dover, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing Inc, 1993). [3] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Flint. [4] Johnston, James B., _Place Names of England and Wales_ (London: Bracken Books, 1994 [1915]); author's name 'Johnson' on some editions. [5] Aspilogia III (I:123) has , Chevronny gules and or, from the Heralds' Roll. Brault normalizes the name to and says that the man was living in 1265. In the biographical notes (II:285f) he says that Guy was perhaps a brother of cousin of Foulque II, sire de Mathefelon in Touraine. Foulque bore six escutcheons on a 1265 seal, but his son Thibaud IV (died c.1303) initially bore 'Chevronny or and gules, a lable azure'. [Brault, Gerald J., _The Rolls of Arms of Edward I_, Aspilogia III, 2 vols. (London: Boydell Press, 1997)]. DBA II:531f has: Ralph Peberners, temp. Edw. I, sealing with chevronny of six; Carle Crosse Gatte, 'Chevronny inverted of six sable and argent', from the 15th c. Shirley's Roll; Alice, Countess of Northampton, daughter of Gilbert de Gaunt, Earl of Lincoln, sealing c.1160 with chevronny of eight; Thomas Aubrey, temp. Edw. I, sealing with chevronny; and several more 12th c. chevronny seals. [Woodcock, Thomas, Janet Grant, & Ian Graham, _Dictionary of British Arms_, vol II. (The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1996)].