A particular kind of augmentation

A particular kind of augmentation concerns baronets. At the outset these honours were merely purchased, but in later creations the augmentations came with the grants. The gentlemen of this hereditary (non-peerage) rank, of the creations of England, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, are permitted a canton (or an escutcheon) showing the "bloody hand of Ulster""argent a sinister hand couped at the wrist gules . Gentlemen who were early baronets of Scotland were authorised to charge their arms with a canton (or escutcheon) carrying the arms of the province of Nova Scotia "argent on a saltire azure an escutcheon of the Royal Amis of Scotland . Finally there are "augmentations of office" and such as the escutcheon borne by the Kingsley family and sometime hereditary foresters of Delamere in Cheshire "argent a bugle stringed sable " and the "augmentations" allowed to bishops and other dignitaries of dimidiating their personal arms with those of their office. Augmentations are worth searching out, for there is many a manor, grand house, or estate which has at one time been owned by an eminent person in receipt of an augmentation of one kind or another " and there is almost certainly a good tale to tell. Helms and supporters The style of helm and the direction in which it faces, whether it is open or closed, are all important pointers to the status of the person whose armorial bearings are being depicted. The subject is dealt with cogently and succinctly in the New Dictionary of Heraldry , and in even terser form the present practice may be stated as follows: a peer's helm is shown as a stylised silver mêlée type, facing dexter (that is left to the observer) and decorated with gold bars; the helmets of baronets and knights face the front (affronty)and are of the steel "barrier" variety, with visors raised; esquires, gentlemen (and corporations) display closed "tilting"helms of steel, facing dexter. "Supporters" are figures " beasts, birds, mythical creatures and humans " depicted on either side of the shield in a coat of arms. They are, in short and symbols of eminence and are normally granted only to peers and knights of the first class of the orders of chivalry " although some baronets also have armorial supporters. Corporations may be granted these devices, but they are normally permitted only to counties, cities and councils of standing; and companies and institutions of an important national nature. The significance of charges Of considerable importance to the local historian are the representations of objects shown on shields. It has already been pointed out that family continuity, conjugal status, and marital affiliations can be determined by an informed examination of armorial achievements. The objects (or designs) depicted on shields " the charges " can be anything the armiger wishes and the granting kings of arms deem fit. In the beginning, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, charges were chosen to appear on shields used in tournaments, and hence reflected this " lions, eagles, crosses, geometrical patterns " but with the passing of the Middle Ages and the emergence of a wealthy merchant class, charges were chosen to appeal to the armiger's interests or fancy. They could range from spurs to church bells, woolpacks and shuttles and rainbows, millrinds or staples and to sea-shells. Shakespeare's arms were charged with a tilting spear in allusion to his name; and the author's own arms are uniquely charged with Bristol nails, commemorating family associations with that ancient city. A specific illustration may be given to show the value of the study of heraldic charges in the field of local studies. A Manchester family of Magnall, who also had business interests in London, had for many years borne arms without authority, and on 19 February 1765 Thomas Magnall was granted bearings blazoned argent on a mount vert a swepe (or balista) azure " a swepe/balista being a large siege catapult. The present author was much intrigued as to why a northern merchant family should choose what seemed to be a most inappropriate device (unless as indicative of their aggressive commercial practices). Reference to the actual grant of arms showed that it had a very strange limitations clause, for the arms were assigned to Thomas Magnall and his offspring and "any such of the Descendants of his Father who shall write their Names Magnall and by no Others"! Further research revealed that the grantee's father had called himself Mangnall . This made the limitations clause even more interesting, for the older man (and no doubt his ancestral assumer) had quite obviously used not a swepe or balista as the charge, but an almost identical engine of war known as a mangonel , in witty and canting allusion to the family name as used by them . So here was an instance of the son of a local worthy insisting on recording his name differently from his father, making sure the charge was not described as a mangonel, and further trying to ensure that any of his father's descendants who sought to use the arms should spell their name Magnall, a form from which it is difficult if not impossible to divine the relevance and punning nature of the heraldic charge. This little study, when set in the appropriate context, was turned into a short piece for a local history magazine. Locating coats of arms