Escutcheon

Escutcheon

Escutcheon, (fr. écusson): (1) The shield itself whereon arms are emblazoned, (2) more especially of a small shield of which more than one(generally three) are borne on the shield. A single one so borne is called in inescutcheon. The term is found in early rolls spelt in various ways. Where there is a single inescutcheon the arms might be blazoned as with a bordure of such a tincture as the arms of DARCY shew. While the pierced or false escutcheons of the old rolls would be now blazoned as orles. As a rule the escutcheon is drawn much smaller than the space enclosed by a bordure.

Argent, three escutcheons gules--HAY.

Warin de MONCHENSY, d'or ove trois escocheons barres de verre et de goules--Roll, temp. HENRY III.

Le Counte de WHITINGWEN veire dor e de goules a une escuchon dazur a un sautour dargent--Ibid.

Sire William de VAUS, de argent, a un escuchoun de goules, od la bordure de merelos de goules--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Sire Johan DARCY, de argent, a un escuchon de sable, od les rosettes de goules assis en la manere de bordure--Ibid.

Sire Robert DARCY, de argent a iij roses de goules, od la bordure enlente de sable--Ibid.

Sire Thomas de BAYLOLF, de argent a une escuchoun de goules percee e un label de azure--Ibid.

Sire Bertelmehn de A WYLLERS, de argent a iij escoucheons de goulys--Ibid.

Or, an inescutcheon gules--CONSTABLE.

Eustace de BALIOLL, d'azur au faus escocheon d'or crusule d'or--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Sr Alexandre de BAYLOLFZ, porte d'argent ou ung faux eschue de gulez--Roll, temp. ED. I. [Harl. MS. 6589.]

Or, two bars gules; on a chief azure an inescutcheon ermine--NORTON, London, 1611, and STRELTON, co. Salop.

Or, three bends wavy azure; on an inescutcheon three fusils--Simon MONTACUTE, Bp. of Worcester, 1337-45.

Gules, crusily and a lion passant gardant or, a canton argent, charged with an eagle displayed sable, on the breast an escucheon gold charged with three bars azure--ASTELL, Leicester.

.... a castle with five towers, over the port, an escucheon argent on a cross gules a fleur-de-lis or--Seal of City of LINCOLN.

Or, on a lion rampant sable an antique escutcheon or, charged with a cross patty gules--POWNALL.

Gules, on a rock proper a castle triple-towered argent masoned sable, surmounted by an escucheon gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or--Town of DORCHESTER, Dorset.

Escutcheon of Pretence: a shield containing the arms of an heiress, placed in the centre of her husband's arms instead of being impaled with them, is so called.

Argent, on a fesse dancetty azure, between three mullets sable as many bezants, over all an inescutcheon of pretence or, a sinister wing erect sable--DIMSDALE, Herts.