ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 878 http://www.s-gabriel.org/878 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* 6 Apr 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the Irish surname and how you could use it in your Society name, and the Belew clan arms. Here is what we have found. The name or is Anglo-Irish, the result of English immigration to Ireland. It arose from one of the Anglo-Norman names or . The latter name is recorded in England in 1160 in the name and in the 13th century in or [1, 2, 3]. Any of these forms could have been used by an Anglo-Irish woman. The plain surname , without the preposition , could also have been used, though probably not until the late 15th and 16th centuries. You will want to choose a given name to go with the surname. Depending on when you want to set your persona, different choices will be appropriate. If you pick a common Norman English name like , , or , and combine it with , then you'd have a name that would fit any part of our period from the late 12th century onward. You can find a list of other Anglo-Norman names on the web at: A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex Co., England, 1182-1272 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5145/names.html You asked if we could tell you the correct colors for the Bellew clan arms. I'm afraid we cannot help you with that problem. However, we can give you some possibly-useful information. The idea of clan arms is a modern invention. In the British Isles in period, arms were borne by individuals, not by families. Different members of a family bore arms which were small variations of a common design (called "cadenced arms"), but they did not share identical arms. Many modern Irish clan arms date to late in our period; many more are modern inventions. We don't know if the Bellew arms, in particular, existed before 1600. If they did, then you could certainly create a variant for your own use. For your information: The heraldic emblem that you described is a full achievement of arms. The arms of the family are properly only the design on the shield itself. The raised arm and sword that are on top of the helmet are called the "crest". The feathery swirls framing the achievement are called "mantling"; they are essentially just decoration. 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 Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] MacLysaght, Edward, _The Surnames of Ireland_ (Dublin: Irish Academic Press Ltd., 1985, ISBN 0-7165-2366-3). [2] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames_ (Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation), s.n. Beille, Beilliu. [3] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -