Heraldry assistance

[Stuart]

Help from the hive mind.

Henry Blundell of little Crosby, Lancashire.

I’m unsure of when he was born but I know he was killed at Flodden.

I’m struggling to find heraldry and I’m reluctant to use the generic Blundell arms (attached)

Any help would be greatly appreciated

All the best

Stuart

[Rick]

Are you sure of his dates, Stuart? There is a record of a Henry Blundell of Little Crosby but born around 1517, died before 1562, married to Anne (Leyland) Blundell?
The Blundell's of Little Crosby had slightly different heraldry to the Blundells of Ince (Great Crosby) - it's the same as your picture (blue background, 10 gold billets arranged 4-3-2-1) but has a gold square or canton in the top right corner over the 1st and second billets on the top row and the first billet on the second row. On top of that canton is a natural coloured raven with his beak pointing right. Obviously the directions are in the heraldic form and refer to the shields left or right, not as you look at it.

[fred]

Nothing to add on the heraldry - but quite odd/interesting to see names of places just a few miles south from me cropping up! Blundell is a place name these days too.

[Rick]

Still looking but I can't find a reference for any Blundell having died at Flodden. How good is your source, Stuart?

[Stuart]

Thanks Rick, I’m questioning it now. There’s a passing reference to him in this article

https://www.flodden1513ecomuseum.org/project/the-battle/39-piecing-together-who-was-at-the-battle

[Rick]

Right. Interesting but not conclusive either way really. Both sources are a bit hazy - either your source is correct and a (sir or honourable) Henry Blundell was at Flodden (and SAID to have died) meaning the internet source dates for Henry Blundell are wrong by some years  OR the internet dates are right and the article has it wrong. Or there really might be 2 Henry Blundells and we're both right! 
Needs more information really.
I'm pretty sure that the heraldry is right, though.

[Rick]

Right then, I think I see what's happened and there ARE 2 different Henry Blundell's, one being the grandfather or great grandfather of the other.
I do like a good detective story!!
Just found a reference to an Agnes (Bold) Blundell, daughter of sir Henry Bold, 2nd wife of Henry Blundell who died 9th Sept. 1513.
So, Stuart, your source does appear to be correct he was at Flodden, died there it would seem (same date at any rate) but not a knight - probably gentry, possibly even an 'honourable' as his family had been knights, but perfectly entitled to wear his heraldry, which would have been the one I mentioned above.

[Stuart]

Ah excellent, the curse of same names, thanks very much I appreciate it 🙂

[Stuart]

Is this the arms you mention?

[Rick]

Yes, that's the one that seems to be associated with the Blundells of Little Crosby.

[Maxromek]

Stuart, I've been following your blog and your Facebook group for years now, but I am very excited with the recent developments with Molyneaux's and now Blundells - I live on the North edge of Liverpool so if you know of somewhere I could look - an archive, local library, old manor, anywhere, I could pop my way down there and check if anybody knows anything.

Maks

[Stuart]

A pleasure to inspire you Maks. The church with Molyneux’s grave is mentioned in the article and there’s also  St Leonard’s church in Middleton just outside Manchester which has The Flodden window. I heartily recommend a visit there but make an appointment.

My next unit will focus upon the men from Lancashire who were in Stanley’s division at Flodden. It’ll be a while yet as I’m a slow painter but I I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait 🙂

[Rick]

What has been interesting to me, as I've looked at the fragments available, is that all these families have intermarried at some point - perhaps a kind of family obligation for Stanley's contingent at Flodden.
The Stanley's and Molyneux's have a history of friendship with one bad tiff that had to be sorted out by the King, they then make up and seal it with a marriage. Similarly the Blundell and the Molyneux family have intermarried - Little Crosby was originally a Molyneux estate before it was Blundell. Again, when looking at the list of Sherriff's it's amazing how many names also crop up marrying a Blundell or Molyneux - it's fairly obvious these are families of some standing and prestige in the area.

[Stuart]

It’s a joy reading this stuff and seeing the depth of assistance that others like yourself can offer.

[Rick]

I actually enjoy doing a bit of research - digging out a few fragments here and there until you find something that fits together - it's often about finding the right questions to ask.
For example - I wonder how significant the Raven in the shield canton is? Obtaining permission to add a canton isn't unusual in a cadet branch of a family - it's a way of showing your ancestry and difference at the same time. But the Raven is an interesting touch; it can symbolise wisdom or divine providence - a cadet branch might use a Raven to show that they didn't inherit their position or money, but gained it themselves. Interesting stuff!