Lucy

Lucy

Lucy, or Luce, (old fr. luc and luz): the fish now commonly called a pike. The merlucius, or pike of the sea, is the hake. See under Cod.

    "And many a breme, and many a luce in stew."                                
      Chaucer, Prologue, 352.                                                   

It is, as will be seen, found frequently in ancient arms, where it plays upon the names. The large head and long mouth distinguish it in the drawing from other fishes. In early arms lucies seem to have been always haurient; as they are not so now it is necessary to note the position.

Geffrey de LUCY, de goules a trois lucie d'or--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Sire Ammori de LUCY, de azure crusule de or a iij luys de or--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Sire Thomas de LUCY, de azure crusule de argent a iij luys de argent--Ibid.

Monsire LUCY, seigneur de Dalington, gules a trois lucies d'or crusele--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Monsire de FITZACRE, port d'asure a vj luces d'or--Ibid.

Azure, two lucies in saltire argent, with coronets over their mouths or--STOCK-FISHMONGERS[united with the SALT-FISHMONGERS, 1536. Note also FISHMONGERS' Company under Dolphin.]

Gules, a chevron between three lucies haurient argent--BROUGHAM, Brougham, Westmoreland.

Ermine, on a bend engrailed sable, three lucy's heads erect erased or, collared with bars gemels gules--GILLET or GILLOT, Broadfield, Norfolk, GILLET, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Azure, three lucies haurient argent--WAY, Essex; also Dorset.

Gules, a luce naiant between three annulets argent--PICKERING, Alconbury, Hunts.

Argent, on a pale sable a demi luce or[though probably intended for a demi-conger-eel]--GASCOIGNE, Gawthorp.

The Ged is but another name for the lucy, and is equally used as a canting charge.

Azure, three geds haurient argent--GED of that Ilk.

Azure, two geds in saltire argent--GEDNEY, Hudderley, Linc. [Crest, two geds as in the arms.]

Argent, two geds in saltire azure--GEDNEY of Enderby.

Gules, an escutcheon between three luce's heads couped argent--GEDDES, Tweeddale. [Elsewhere, between three ged's or pike's heads couped or.]

The name Pike(fr. brochet), though not properly used by heralds, is obviously intended by the following canting coats of arms.

Gules, three luces[or pikes] naiant within a bordure engrailed argent--PIKE, London.

Per pale argent and gules, on a chevron between three trefoils slipped a luce naiant all counterchanged--PYKE, Devonshire.

Per chevron wavy, argent and vert; in chief two luces chevron-wise respecting each other proper; in base a hind statant of the first--PICKE.

Argent, three luces naiant in pale gules--PIKETON.

Azure, three luces naiant within a bordure engrailed argent--PIKEWORTH.

D'azur, au brochet d'argent surmonté d'une étoile d'or--LUC-FONTENAY.

Possibly the Sea-pike or Gar-fish may be intended in the crest of the GARLING family. The two Sea-lucies borne on arms of the Stock-fishmongers' Company are probably meant for Hakes(q.v. under Cod).