CRESTS, COATS OF ARMS & CLAN BADGES
The majority of Signet Rings today are Seal Engraved with either a Crest, a Coat of Arms or a Clan Badge. These heraldic designs relate very closely to the family name and descent.
If you are of British Isles descent, you are entitled to a Coat or Arms if you can prove you are the heir of someone who has recorded arms with the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh, The College of Arms, London or the Offices of Arms, Ulster. Other members of your family are entitled to use the Crest from the Coat of Arms, but not the full achievement
If you have not (or cannot prove) such a descent, you can apply to one of the Offices of Arms for Letters Patent granting you special arms of your own. Such Letters Patent entitle you and your descendants to arms forever.
There are lots of different reference books listing Crests and Coats of Arms by family name. Anyone can display a crest or coat of arms associated with their name, but if entitlement is not proven, it does not belong to them. It is just associated with their name. Lots of people do have crests associated with their name seal engraved onto signet rings but these are only for display.
Scottish Clan Badges are a different matter. If you have a signet ring seal engraved with a clan badge associated or affiliated with your name, you are demonstrating your allegiance to the chief of that clan, making you his clansman. This deems your use of the design completely genuine.
Many of the names of Scotland have been altered throughout the centuries since they were first written down and different members of the same family are known to have taken protection from different clans and have become followers of those clans. Often names were simply territorial. This means that there can be many different names associated with the same Clan. These names are know as Clan Septs.
For example, the Clan Mackintosh is made up of the following Septs :-
Adamson, Ayson, Clark, Clarke, Combie, Crerar, Dallas, Doles, Elder Esson, Glen, Hardie, Hardy, MacAndrew, MacAy, MacCardney MacChlerich, MacCombie, MacConchy, MacFall, Macglashan Machardie, Machardy, MacHay, Macintosh, Mackeggie, MacKillican Makintosh, Maclerie, MacOmie, MacPhail, Macritchie, MacNiven MacThomas, Maevail, Niven, Noble, Paul, Ritchie, Shaw, Tarrill Thomas, Thomason, Thoms, Thomson, Tosh
We would be happy to check the Clan Lists for your name.
Clan Badges
Clan Badges are a symbol of kinship with a Highland Clan or a Scottish Family.
In the past chiefs gave their followers a metal plate of their crest to wear as a badge. This badge was fixed to the Clansman’s clothing by a belt and buckle and when not in use the belt and buckle were coiled round the crest badge.
Today, the representation of the metal plate crest badge takes the form of the chiefs’ crest encircled by a belt and buckle with the chief’s motto on the belt. This is the only form in which a clansman is permitted to display his chief’s crest and its use indicates that the wearer is a kinsman or follower of the chief whose crest is thus shown. Only the chief and his heir wear the crest without the strap and buckle.