ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2439 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2439 ************************************ From: Lisa and Ken Theriot 31 Jan 2002 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a city-dwelling Lowland Scottish woman between 1450 and 1600, whose family held lands called . You asked about a name related to the clan. You also asked for our help with appropriate armory, possibly using a field gyronny of eight azure and argent (or Or) and a chevron. You also wanted to know about the use of an embroiderer's broach in heraldry. Here is the information we have found. Beginning around the 14th century, the two main languages spoken in Scotland were Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands and Western Isles, and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands, including the royal court and towns. Gaelic was the same language spoken in Ireland at this time; Scots was closely related to contemporary English. Norn (a form of Norse) as well as Scots was spoken in the Northern Isles through the 16th century. These languages were very different and had different naming customs. There was some mixing of names from the different cultures, but most names were not adopted into all of the cultures. Therefore, the culture you choose for your persona will determine how your name should be constructed. A person living in the Scottish Lowlands during your period would definitely be a Scots speaker. was an extremely popular name in both England and Lowland Scotland during your period [1]. We find it recorded in Lowland Scotland in various spellings, including several pet forms [2, 3]: Margaret, 1502, 1505, 1508, 1520, 1521, 1529 Margeret, 1502, 1503 Margrat, 1557-85 Margrait, 1543, 1544 Margrayt, 1538 Margret, 1521, 1526, 1531, 1532, 1548, 1549, 1550, 1556 Margreit, 1521 Mag, 1502, 1509, 1516, 1518, 1519 Mage, 1503, 1509, 1520, 1524, 1530, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1540, 1543, 1548, 1549 Mage or Madge, 1493, 1597 Magy, 1400, 1509 Meg, 1408, 1503, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1509, 1520, 1521, 1548, 1590 Mege, 1505, 1520, 1521, 1524, 1533, 1548, 1549, 1567 Megy, 1510, 1514, 1516, 1521, 1543 Magis, 1503 Maugis, 1523 It is an excellent choice for your name. We found no mention of a place called in period Scotland, nor did we find any examples of Scottish people using as a byname. There were at least two places called in southern England [4]; we also find forms of the name appearing as an English byname beginning in the 12th century [5]. By your period, it was not unusual to see bynames appearing in Scotland which were imported from England, but obviously using a placename closer to Scotland is a better recreation. The element was originally a contraction of ; for example, one modern English appears as in 1284 and as 1176 [4]. We have found no mention of a place called in Scotland, either, but we believe it is a reasonable minor placename that might have existed in some form just about anywhere without necessarily having given rise to a modern placename. Accordingly, a byname based on some form of , while not the best recreation, is certainly plausible. Since we have no period examples, we need to look at similar names in order to determine the most likely form of for your period. The second element, <-wood>, is unlikely to have appeared in its modern spelling until the extreme end of your period. We find the following forms in Scotland in your period [6, 7] Wod, 1458, 1476, 1479, 1501-1551 Wodde, 1491 Wode, 1506, 1501-1551 Woid, 1567 Woide, 1481 Woud, 1501-1551 Vod and Void, 1526 Vode, 1486 Voud and Voude, 1526 Vould, 1522 We find a place called recorded as in 1502 and as in 1503 and 1504. We also find the placename and related byname recorded as in 1528 and in 1597 [6, 7]. The only mention of a placename in Scotland where seems to have contracted to is , an area of Ratho, a town near Edinburgh, recorded as ca.1380, 'north town' [8]. We are not sure whether contracting before another (as in "nor(th) town") is a good model for dropping before , but it is not impossible. However, we find the word most commonly recorded in Scotland in your period as , , and [6, 7]. Based on these examples, the most likely spelling of for your period is or , though and are also possible (as are any of other "wood" spellings). We believe the most likely spelling for most of your period is [9]. Locative bynames, i.e. surnames that indicated literally where you lived or what property you held, were common in Lowland Scotland in the 13th and 14th centuries, but they were dying out by the middle of the 15th century. By the 16th century, the Scots used inherited surnames, much like modern surnames. For example, if a 15th or 16th century Lowland woman named were the daughter of , she'd be known as . This name would not necessarily imply any association with property called , though; William may simply have come from a place called and retained the name, or he might have inherited it from _his_ father. Likewise, the daughter of might be known as , but it still might or might not indicate ownership of a place called [7]. Lowland women of the 16th century typically did not change their names upon marriage, so she would remain or throughout her life [3]. Based on our research, we believe that or is equally plausible for the early end of your period, but would be the more likely form in the 16th century. We would not expect to find a form including after about 1550. If it is important to you that your name indicates your family's control of the property called , you might prefer a different name form. If a man named held land at a place called , he might have been known as [7]. Nearly all the examples of this name form, of , indicated some form of overlordship or control, not merely association. Based on our research, we believe that it is highly unlikely that a woman would be known as unless she was herself the land holder or the sole heir to the property, though. If you'd like ideas for Lowland surnames, there are many excellent examples at the article referenced in footnote [3]. You mentioned the possibility of using a family name related to the MacFee clan. We strongly advise against that. As we mentioned earlier, the Gaelic and Scots naming pools were very different, and is an English or Scots spelling of a Gaelic name [6]. The modern practice of using surnames to indicate clan membership developed well after our period, as did the lists of "septs", or families associated with the leading clan family. We have no record of anyone named in a Scots-speaking region until well after your period, so there is no way in which a Lowland woman could have had any form of in her name. We do have evidence that the Gaels used a form of ; if you would like us to help you construct a Scottish Gaelic name, please write us again. You asked about designing arms using a field gyronny of eight azure and argent (or Or) and a chevron. You also asked about an embroiderer's broach. We'll look at each element separately, then give you some design recommendations. Gyronny fields are rare, though not unknown, in Scottish heraldry; the Campbell family bears "Gyronny of eight Or and sable" [10]. A different branch of the Campbell family, Campbell of Ardentinny, bears "Gyronny argent and gules, on each gyron a cross-crosslet azure" [19]. We do not typically see charges that overlie the center point of the gyronny; as in the Ardentinny example, we more often see small charges on each separate gyron. We do not believe that placing a chevron or any other large central charge on a gyronny field is consistent with period heraldic style, and accordingly we recommend that you avoid this design [20]. "Gyronny of eight azure and argent, a chief Or" would not be an unreasonable design, though [11]. We believe you could register this design with the SCA College of Arms. Chevrons are quite common in Scottish heraldry, so using a chevron in your armorial design is an excellent recreation, though as we mentioned earlier, it is not appropriate with a gyronny field [12]. The embroiderer's broach as a charge dates to 1558, in the English arms of the Worshipful Company of Broderers [13]. We have no examples in Scotland from your period. Weapons and tools are rare in Scottish heraldry, and when they do occur, they are usually cants, or pictorial references to the family name [14]. For example, the Scottish family of bears "Azure, three bells Or" [15]. You might be interested to know that we find the name recorded in Lowland Scotland in 1628, just after your period [16]. We would not find it remarkable if a person named had embroiderer's broaches on her arms. "Azure, three embroiderer's broaches Or" would be a plausible design and not unlikely as a cant on the name [17]. If you would like to incorporate a chevron, we believe it is a plausible design, following the model of the arms of the Chiselden family dated to 1403/4, "a chevron between three chisels" [18]. Accordingly, we think the design "Azure, a chevron between three embroiderer's broaches argent" is possible. Other possible designs include: Azure, three embroiderer's broaches argent Azure, a chevron Or between three embroiderer's broaches argent While none of these designs is truly representative of Scottish heraldic design, we believe they are not unreasonable; however, we do not recommend any design with an embroiderer's broach unless you use the surname . We believe that you can register any of these designs with the SCA College of Arms. We do not suggest that you combine a gyronny field with broaches; placing an unusual charge on an unusual field creates a design very unlikely to have existed. 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 Arval Benicoeur, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Effrick neyn Kenneoch, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Juliana de Luna, Juliana la Caminante de Navarra, Julie Stampnitzky, Mari neyn Brian, Maridonna Benvenuti, Rouland Carre, Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Will Dekne and Zenobia Naphtali. For the Academy, Adelaide de Beaumont 31 January 2002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References: [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Margaret. [2] Talan Gwynek, "A List of Feminine Personal Names found in Scottish Records" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996), s.n Margaret. http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/scottishfem/ [3] Krossa, Sharon L. (Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte), "Early 16th Century Scottish Lowland Names", (WWW: Privately published, 7 December 2001). http://www.MedievalScotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/ [4] Ekwall, Eilert, _The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names_, 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), s.nn. Norwood, Northwood. [5] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Northwood includes 1176, 1190, and 1205. The apostrophe represents a letter or letters left out by the scribe; here it probably indicates a missing . [6] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.nn. Northincheton, Eastwood, Westwood, Ligertwood, Macfee. [7] Research by Effrick neyn Kenneoch in the manuscript Aberdeen Council Registers, Volumes 8 - 20 (1501-1551), in the Aberdeen City Archives. She found , also sometimes identified without the locative and sometimes as (1512, 1515). Another man is named or (1502). [8] Johnston, James B., _Place-Names of Scotland_, 3rd ed. (London: John Murray, 1934), s.n. Norton. [9] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), s.n. Norwood. The recommended spelling is consistent with English forms as well; we find the following in England: Northwode, c. 1270, 1273, 1379 Norwode, 1379 Northwoode, 1592 Norwood, 1671 [10] Papworth, John W., _Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials_, reprint (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977), p. 900. [11] Papworth, p. 554ff, s.v. Chief, On a Chief, has no dated examples of gyronny and a plain chief, but a half dozen undated examples including Matthews (Scotland): Gyronny of eight gules and sable a chief or. Dated English examples of gyronny with a charged chief include: Nicholas Lemprew (or Lempereur) Gyronny of 12 argent and gules, on a chief azure an eagle displayed double-headed argent, cited from Glovers Ordinary (1584). Cron or Crow of Norfolk: Gyronny of eight or and sable, on a chief sable two leopard's heads or. Granted by Camden, recorded in Withie's additions to Glover's Ordinary. Christopher Crowe: Gyronny of eight sable and or on a chief sable two leopard's faces or. Granted 27 May 1614 by Camden, Harl. MS 6095 fo. 44. [12] Schweitzer, Leslie A., and David Hunter of Montlaw, "Late Medieval Scottish Heraldic Design", Proceedings of the XXIII International Conference of Genealogy and Heraldry Sciences, 1998. [13] Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme and Akagawa Yoshio, _A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry as Used in the Society for Creative Anachronism_, second edition (privately published, 1992), s.v. broach, embroiderer's. [14] Schweitzer, Leslie A., and David Hunter of Montlaw, unpublished research. [15] Papworth, p. 181. This example is undated. [16] Black, s.n. Broatch. [17] We are not certain that embroiderer's broaches were called in Lowland Scotland, but since the word was in use in England for at least a century before your period, and we have not seen them referred to in Scotland as anything else, we think it's a reasonable assumption. [18] Woodcock, Thomas, Janet Grant, & Ian Graham, _Dictionary of British Arms_, vol II. (The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1996), p. 401. John Chiselden sealed with this design in 1403/4. Chisels are very visually similar to embroiderer's broaches. [19] Clouston, J. Storer, 'The Armorial de Berry', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol. LXXII, 6th series, vol. XII, (1938) pages 84-111. The Armorial de Berry was compiled circa 1445. [20] We have found a single Scottish example of a charge overlaying the gyronny's center point: Spence of Lathalland, "Gyronny argent and azure, an inescutcheon argent charged with a lion's head erased sable within a bordure gules" [21]. We do not believe this is a good model for you: it was common practice for a family who claimed property associated with another set of arms to place the assumed arms on a shield in the center of their old arms. This practice is known as an "inescutcheon of pretense". The Spence example may be such a design; it's possible their arms were originally "Gyronny argent and azure" and they assumed the arms "Argent, a lion's head erased sable within a bordure gules". Since such designs arise from claims of landedness, they are considered unsuitable for arms in the SCA, so if your goal is to register arms with the SCA College of Arms, a design with a charged escutcheon in the center of the shield is inappropriate for you. [21] Lindsay of the Mount, Sir David, Laing, David LLD ed., Facsimile of an ancient heraldic manuscript emblazoned by Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount 1542, (William Paterson, Edinburgh, 1878).