ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2029
http://www.s-gabriel.org/2029
************************************
22 May 2000
From: Julie Stampnitzky
Greeting from the Academy of S. Gabriel!
You asked whether <Morgan Garret Wolsey> would be an appropriate name
for a man of English-Welsh lineage living in the late 16th century. You
also asked about using arms with a red dog or wolf on a silver
background. Here is what we have found.
The given name <Morgan> is of Welsh origin; we have found that it was
used in 16th century Wales [1] and late 16th century England [2]. It is
an excellent choice for your name.
<Garret> was commonly used in 16th century England, both as a given
name and as an inherited surname [2,3].
The surname <Wolsey> derives from the Old English given name <Wulfsige>
[3]. A variety of spellings were used for this surname; the specific
form <Wolsey> is found in a 1557 biography of the English statesman
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and in a 1605 baptismal record, so this spelling
is perfect for your period [4,5].
Although the names you've chosen are all quite appropriate, the
combination of the three is not a plausible name for a 16th-century
Englishman. Double given names were very rare in your period, and double
surnames were practically nonexistent. You could construct a more
authentic name by using only two elements: either <Morgan Garret>,
<Morgan Wolsey>, or <Garret Wolsey> would be an excellent choice for
your name.
On the other hand, names containing three or more elements did occur in
Wales in your period; such names were used to identify the individual's
father [6]. For example, a man with the given name <Thomas> whose father
was named <William Jones> might be known as <Thomas William Jones>. This
type of name would be appropriate for a man who lived in Wales and was
culturally Welsh.
Though the surname <Wolsey> is of English origin, it could also be the
name of a family that had lived in Wales for a number of generations.
However, if this were the case, your father would probably not have had
the name <Garret Wolsey>; we have not found the given name <Garret>
being used in 16th century Wales. If you would like to use a three-
element name, we suggest that you choose a name for your father that is
known to have been used in Wales. (You can find examples of such names
in reference [1].) For example, since <David> was a very popular name in
16th-century Wales, <Morgan David Wolsey> would be an authentic name for
a Welsh man.
Your suggested arms are a fine design. Unfortunately, we do not think
you will be able to register any arms consisting only of a single red
dog (or wolf) on a silver background with the SCA College of Arms; there
are too many conflicts with already-registered arms. We will suggest
some alternate designs that you might wish to consider; please write
again if you would like more help. We believe you could register any of
following with the CoA:
Argent, three wolves rampant gules
This has three red wolves on a white field, two in the top half of the
shield and one in the bottom half. The wolves are rearing up on one
hind leg with the other three legs raised; you can see a picture of a
lion in this posture at
<http://www.heraldica.org/topics/glossary/pics/269.jpg>.
Argent, in pale three wolves passant gules
Again there are three red wolves on a white field, but in this design
they are arranged in a column, one above another. Each is walking and
has three paws on the ground and its right foreleg raised. You can see
a picture of a lion in this posture at
<http://www.heraldica.org/topics/glossary/pics/285.jpg>.
Per fess argent and gules, a wolf rampant counterchanged
This starts with a shield divided horizontally, with the top half silver
and the bottom half red. On it is a single rampant wolf (the same
posture as the first example). The wolf is red where it overlies the
silver part of the shield, and silver where the shield would be red.
Per bend gules and argent, a wolf rampant counterchanged
This is similar to the previous design, but the shield is divided by a
diagonal line running from the top left to the bottom right. The upper
section is red.
Per pale argent and gules, a wolf passant counterchanged
This time the shield is divided vertically, with the left side silver.
The wolf is passant, as in the second design.
You could also substitute dogs for wolves in any of the above designs.
I 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 Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja,
Teceangl Bach, Arval d'Espas Nord, Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali,
Tangwystl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Juliana de Luna, Alan Fairfax, and
Blaise de Cormeilles.
For the Academy,
Julie Stampnitzky
22 May 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------
References
[1] Jones, Heather Rose (aka Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn), "A
Simple Guide to Constructing 16th Century Welsh Names (in English
Contexts)" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996).
http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/tangwystyl/welsh16.html
[2] Talan Gwynek, "Late Sixteenth Century English Given Names" (WWW: J.
Mittleman, 1997).
http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/eng16/
[3] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn. Garrad,
Gerald, Gerard, Woolsey.
[4] Cavendish, George, _The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey_ (WWW:
University of Toronto Library, 1998).
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/ret/cavendish/cavendish.html
[5] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980). s.n. Wolsey
[6] Talan Gwynek, "Late Sixteenth Century Welsh Names" (1994; WWW: J.
Mittleman, 1997).
http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/talanWelsh16.html