Turbot

Turbot

Turbot: both the turbot and the sole are made use of in English heraldry, apparently on account of the name only, as the following examples shew.

Azure, three turbots argent, two and one, joined or--TURBUTT, Ogston Hall, co. Derby; [same borne by TURBUTT, co. York; three turbots naiant proper by TARBUTT of Scotland, and three turbots fretted by TARBUTT of Middlesex].

Argent, a chevron gules between three soles haurient[proper] with a bordure engrailed gules--SOLE, Bobbing Place, Kent; also SOLES, Brabanne, co. Cambridge.

Gules, three solefish argent--John de SOLES, Kent.

Vert, a chevron between three soles naiant--SOLEY, Shropshire.

Per pale or and gules, a chevron counterchanged between three soles azure and argent--SOLEY, Worcestershire.

A demi-turbot erect tail upwards is the crest of the family of LAWRENCE, [and so borne by Sir Thomas Lawrence, the celebrated painter].

With the above must be grouped the flounder, or flook, as it is called in Scotland, which is probably not to be distinguished from them. Mr.Moule also finds that at Yarmouth this fish is called a butt; in Cornwall he has found the local name to be the carter fish, hence he concludes that the fish borne respectively in the arms of BUTTS and CARTER are meant for a fish of this kind. What the bret fish is, or the birt, he does not seem to have determined. The following examples are taken from his work.

Argent, a saltire gules between four ermine spots; on a chief of the second three butt fish haurient of the first--BUTTS, Dorking.

Gules, three flooks(or flounders) argent--ARBUTT.

Sable, a flook argent--FISHER.

Sable, a chevron ermine between three carter fish haurient argent--CARTER, London.

Azure, three brets naiant--BRETCOCK.

Azure, a birt fish proper--BIRT.

Turk's head. See Head.