A few questions on heraldry

[commissarmoody]

Greetings,
I have been inspired by all the WOTR and early renaissance postings on here, and would like to a do a force based off of my family name. My Family name is Moody and my dad is still alive so If i under stand correctly he would get the full family crest. My younger brother and i would get one that combines both my dads and my moms family crest.
How would this be combined and or worked out? Also I was wondering if any thing  might be added to them to mark off are achievements? I spent time in the US military dearing the current turf war and was wondering if there was any thing that would single that out, with out being modern. And my brother went to Law school and then changed it up to Business, so he is the moneyed one, were as I as the oldest defended the family holdings. 
Also to add to the mix, my dad is a gunsmith in the US and is national match armor.
So in closing, how would i make this into some thing useful for the mid to late 15c.

[Arlequín]

There's not a short answer here... Your Dad could halve his arms with your Mom's (unless they had no coat of arms). Sons bear the same arms, but with 'difference labels' overlaid. If the sons are married, they can again halve their arms (Mom and Dad's), with that of their Wife, or more usually quarter them (theirs upper left and bottom right, their Wife's upper right and bottom left).

Richard, Earl of Warwick's is a good example of how complicated things could get...



'Achievements' or puns on the family name etc, were usually shown in the choice of livery badge, which was borne on the 'standard' and not on the banner (which displayed the coat of arms only). I'm of the opinion that unless they have lands in their own right, sons would use their father's standards and livery colours.

Normally 'Lords' would not be involved in 'trade', so a gunsmith would serve a lord as a retainer. However a town or city might have a gunsmith's guild, forming part of their city's forces raised to support someone... so conceivably he might carry his coat of arms on a banner, with his guild's badge (crossed handguns?) on a standard.

These are starting points, there's loads of heraldry and related stuff on the web... but be wary that styles changed and 18th Century coats of arms were very different to 15th Century ones (they began to run out of ideas for designs as so many people were getting coats of arms). Even standards went from one or two colours in the 15th Century, to three or more in the early 16th as that became fashionable.

[Atheling]

I hate to say it but you really need to get hold of a book about Heraldry. It can be a very complicated subject and as you move into the middle-late 15thC it just gets more complicated!

It's not unfathomable(sp?), but it does require a bit of study.

Darrell.

[Paul]

As has been said..it´s a lot of research to create one..It took me an age to work out all the bits in my familys caot of arms actually meant.
Just for fun you could use one of the online sites that create them;
http://www.familycrestsearch.org/Make-a-Coat-of-Arms.html

[commissarmoody]

I hate to say it but you really need to get hold of a book about Heraldry. It can be a very complicated subject and as you move into the middle-late 15thC it just gets more complicated!

It's not unfathomable(sp?), but it does require a bit of study.

Darrell.

Thanks all, I actually have a few books on it in storage. I guess I need to dig them out.

[Atheling]

Ah, what happened to the days where you coat of arms was won on the battlefield? 

No-one in modern times can make this boast, well, possibly with the exception of Iam Botham facing Thomson and Lillie in the Ashes! 

Darrell.

[commissarmoody]

Apparently the first person of note with my surname, earned his by pulling Henry the 8th out of a stream.
But thats a little bit past the time I am looking at. 

Also apprantly my famly at that time was from Bury St. Edmand.

[Orkdung]

 You could also add a Label to your heraldry, and your brother a Crest.

 Denoting 1st and 2nd sons.

.

[Arlequín]

Apparently the first person of note with my surname, earned his by pulling Henry the 8th out of a stream.

The bulk of current UK aristocracy earned theirs by letting Charles II sleep with their wives/daughters/sisters... so in comparison I'd say you were ahead.

 

[commissarmoody]

The bulk of current UK aristocracy earned theirs by letting Charles II sleep with their wives/daughters/sisters... so in comparison I'd say you were ahead.

 

I will take it then!