NATURAL HISTORY AND
THE HERALDRY OF
SOME SUFFOLK FAMILIES

As heraldry, originally the use of inherited devices on shields and coats covering armour (hence ‘coats of arms’) was intended to identify the wearer in battle, it is not surprising that it is generally a fearsome animal such as a lion or a bird such as an eagle that was chosen for their design. However, a glance at Joan Corder’s Dictionary of Suffolk Arms shows that almost any animal, bird or plant can be used as a heraldic device. For example, the coat of arms of the Gaudy family of Crow’s Hall, Debenham shows a tortoise, but I do not know why. Until Victorian times ‘natural history’ hardly existed, although country people will have been well aware of wildlife. Then again, a look at local heraldry suggests a greater interest in bad jokes than in natural history.

Very many Suffolk coats of arms involve puns (‘canting arms’). For example the Bittons of Uggleshall show a bittern (Botaurus stellaris) a nice choice for Suffolk, and the Coots of Culford show three black coots (Fulica atra) but not all families use the expected bird. Although the Rookes used a chevron between three black rooks (Corvus frigilegus) the Rockwoods of Coldham Hall, Stanningfield, used six black chess-rooks. The largest of the Corvids, the raven (Corvus corax) was perhaps an obvious choice for the Corbets of Assington and the Corboulds of Otley House. Other birds appearing in the arms of Suffolk families include bustards (Otis tarda) pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and peewits (Vanellus vanellus) but eagles, falcons and swans are the most favoured birds.

The story is similar with the mammals used in Suffolk heraldry, with some puns, such as the fox for Fox of Stradbroke, rabbits (coneys) for the Conisbys, the goat used by the Capraville family and, more subtle, the boar of the well-known Bacon family. Other mammals include a bat (‘reremouse’) for the Stainings of Earl Soham, otters and squirrels.

Neither do fish escape the puns. Ellis of Cotton shows the eel, and Sir John Plays showed a plaice. Barbels, trout, turbot, herrings and sturgeon appear in Suffolk arms but the fearsome pike (known as a ‘lucy’ in heraldry) is most favoured.

Trees appear frequently in heraldry but are often unspecified. Again puns are common, as in the beech of Beachcroft of Kettlebaston, pine for Pine of Nacton, and plane, of Playne of Sudbury. The oak is shown as acorns and oak leaves in the arms of James Oakes of Nowton Park, Bury, a famous diarist of the 18th century. Ash and hazel have also been used locally as heraldic devices. The rose and the fleur-de-lis are the only flowers to appear commonly in Suffolk heraldry. As for fruit, there is the pomme, a green roundel (from the French for apple) as in the arms of Heathcote of Suffolk.

A: Acorns and oak leaves—arms of OAKES of Bury;
B: boars—arms of BACON of Brundish;
C: golden cock—arms of COCK of Ipswich;
D: Gurnard—crest of the GURNEYS (on red chapeau with turned up ermine rim);
E: Silver owls—arms of THEOBALD of Kersey

A crest is a three dimensional device mounted on the helmet as part of, but not to be confused with, a coat of arms. Women are not granted crests, neither may they inherit them. An extremely wide range of animals and plants have been used as crests (see Joan Corder’s Dictionary of Suffolk Crests), a subject in itself. They are often based on the device of the shield, can be complicated and even amusing. For example, the crest of Gage of Hengrave Hall, near Bury, is “A ged hauriant Argent”, which translated means a silver pike (Esox lucius) with its head upwards. This would have looked very strange if actually worn on a helmet! The choice of this fish probably related to the fishing rights in the neighbouring River Lark.

I have found little evidence of interest in natural history by members of ‘the gentry’ from Suffolk heraldry, but there might have been some knightly ‘twitchers’. Who can tell?