ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2359 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2359 ************************************ 8 Oct 2001 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a 15th century Englishman; and whether he could have borne the arms "Gyronny of eight gules and argent; upon each gyron a rose counterchanged". Here is what we have found. You've chosen a plausible name for your period, though it is one that would have been rather unusual for a couple reasons. The name was rare in England until after the Reformation. Some examples occur in 12th and 13th century records, e.g. 1160, 1206, 1273 [1, 2]. Nearly all the period examples we've found are from the 16th century: 1562-1619, 1598, 1592, et. al. [1, 3, 4, 9]. It may be better re-creation to use this name for a 16th century persona; but we should note that we have relatively little data from the 15th century. If you want people to call you , then you might consider the name or , which was more common than in your period. It was particularly popular in Yorkshire, and it was shortened to [1, 2]. Your surname is typical of an earlier period than the 15th century. By 1400, the word had been dropped from most English surnames that were based on place names. For example, we find the form in 1324, but plain 1379 and 1522 [5]. The name of the shire appears in 15th century sources as and [8]. A 15th century surname is not impossible, but a simpler surname is much more likely. If you particularly want to include the word , then it would be better re-creation to set your persona earlier, in the 14th century. In summary, was a rare name before the 16th century. is a good choice for a 16th century name. It would have been unusual in the 15th century, but could have existed. is a much more likely 15th century name. A form like is most appropriate for the 14th century, but is not implausible for the 15th. We noticed that one of the names you used to sign your name is . You may be interested to know that when Tolkien used this name for one of his characters, he was making a joke: The Middle English word meant "dull, foolish". Your design for your arms can most simply be blazoned "Gyronny gules and argent, on each gyron a rose counterchanged." It was unusual for a gyronny field to be charged: It was essentially treated as a charge in itself, generally borne uncharged. However, we have found one period example of 14th century English arms in which crosses crosslet are placed on every other gyron [6], and a set of Scottish arms from at least as early as the 17th century with a trefoil on every gyron [7]. Since roses were used in same heraldic contexts as trefoils and crosslets [10], your design is a plausible extension of this motif. We think you could register it with the SCA College of Arms, though there are some possible objections [11]. 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 Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, Teceangl Bach, Juliana de Luna, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Blaise de Cormeilles, Adelaide de Beaumont, Juliana la Caminante de Navarra, Julie Stampnitzky, and Rouland Carre. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 8 Oct 2001 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.nn. Samuel, Sampson. The first archbishop of York was named . [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn. Sam, Samuel, Sampson. The two surnames [Samuel> and were probably patronymic, i.e. each man's surname was his father's given name. 1265 was also recorded as c.1260. Another man was "Little Sam" 1275. The short form also appears as . [3] Pears, Brian, "Marriages from the Durham St. Oswald Registers (1538-1734)" (WWW: GENUKI, 1996). http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/Transcriptions/DUR/DSO.html [4] Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "16th Century Gloucestershire Names" (WWW: privately published, 1999-2001). http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/late16.html [5] Reaney & Wilson, s.nn. York, Yorkshire. [6] Cooke's Ordinary, ca.1340. [7] Balfour Paul, Sir James, Lord Lyon King of Arms, An Ordinary of Arms Contained in the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, 2nd edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969). Campbell of Blythswood "Gyronny of eight Or and sable each charged with a trefoil counterchanged quartering Lorn" and Campbell of Gargunnock "Gyronny of eight ermine and gules on each of the last a bee volant argent". These appear in the earliest part of the register, 1672-1677. [8] Barron, Oswald, "Randall Holme's Book", _The Ancestor_ vols. iii (1902), pp. 185-213; iv. 225-50; v. 175-90; vii. 184-215; ix. 159-80. [9] Rounce, Bill and George Bell, "Marriages from the Witton-le-Wear Registers (1558-1837)" (WWW: GENUKI, 1996). http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/Transcriptions/DUR/WLW.html [10] Small simple charges, such as crosses, fleurs-de-lis, trefoils and cinquefoils (stylized roses) were frequently placed upon other charges for difference; for example, a lion might be charged with a cinquefoil to difference it from a plain lion. Since gyrons were themselves considered charges, we would expect them to be charged only with this small, simple type of charge, rather than with something more complex, like lions. [11] You might run into two objections from the SCA College of Arms: that the group of roses looks similar to a wreath or chaplet of roses, which can only be registered by past queens and princesses; and that the white rose was the badge of the medieval house of York and cannot be combined with the surname . We don't think either problem would bar registration of your arms: "Yorkshire" is not the same as "York", and the House of York was never known as the "House of Yorkshire". A set of separate roses is not the same as a wreath of roses, and Laurel has previously registered arms containing several roses in similar arrangements, e.g. Ragnell Gry (1999) Per saltire purpure ermined argent and argent, four roses counterchanged Or and purpure; Laura Rydal of Grasmere (1989) Gyronny argent and sable, in cross four roses proper.