Over all

Over all

Over all, surtout, (fr. sur-le-tout): said of a charge placed over several other charges or over a particoloured field, as also of as escutcheon placed over four or more quarters. French heralds also employ the term brochant sur le tout(see example under fasces). In the first example given below, i.e. in the arms of GREY, and in similar instances of particoloured fields, the words over all are understood, and therefore may be omitted, but in the other examples they are almost indispensable.

Barry of six argent and azure, [over all] a bend gules(as a mark of cadency)--Lord GREY, of Rotherfield Greys, Oxon, (c. 1300).

Argent, three bars gemelles gules, over all a lion rampant sable, crowned or--FAIRFAX, Yorkshire.

Sable, a chief gules, over all a lion rampant or--WOOD, Bp. of Lichfield and Coventry, 1671-92.

Or, a bull passant gules; over all a pale ermine--Sir Thomas BROKE, Temp. HEN. VIII.

Azure, a pale sable, over all a fesse gules voided of the first, cotised of the second--AKELAND, co. Devon.

Or, two pallets azure; surtout on a fesse checky azure and sable three martletts or--Richard CURTEYS, Bp. of Chichester, 1570-82.

Coupé d'argent et d'azur, a la croix ancrée de l'un en l'autre; à la bande de gueules brochante sur le tout--DU PUY or DE PODIO.