The Charnock's Carved Shield
The countless questions raised during my role as a volunteer room steward in Astley Hall's Long Gallery frequently revealed the gaps in my knowledge and prompted further research. Several questions that taxed me were about the elements of the various shields displayed on the shields on view inside the Hall and carved in the panelling and framework of the building. This drew me into the world of the Heralds who maintained the records of Arms from the time of the Crusades and throughout the medieval world.
Over the centuries various Armigerous families bearing Coats of Arms beginning with the Charnock family have displayed there shield with pride in the fabric of the building be it glass, wood or stone and these materials have preserved them to this day.
Then, as now, people adopted arms belonging to other families without right or permission. Today this is very prevalent among internet companies purporting to provide your Arms but, in reality, simply selling you copies of the arms of someone who shares your name but not, necessarily, your ancestry,
During the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England and VI of Scotland officers of the College of Heralds were charged with confirming families rights to the arms displayed at their homes. In the lands to the North of the River Trent this was the responsibility of Norroy King or Arms, now Norroy and Ulster King of Arms.
William Glover, visited Astley Hall in 1567 and confirmed the Charnock's right to the shield displayed, in replica, above the staircase from the Great Hall.
The three cross-crosslets on the bend that divides the shield was thought to be used by families that had travelled to the Holy Lands with the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries or had supported the crusades financially.
It is known from documents preserved in the Lancashire County Archives that Richard Charnock gifted the lands at Astley to the Knight Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem.
Some 46 years later in 1613, during the reign of King James another visitation took place, this time by Richard St. George. By this time Thomas Charnock was the owner of the hall and had married the heiress Bridget Molyneaux.
Norroy King of Arms, Richard St. George, then reported the families right to the arms displayed among the timber framing of the older part of the Hall overlooking the lake.
This is barely visible behind the hedge, I was able to take a photo when the hedge lower though the shield was too high to remove the cobwebs.
As in the shield 46 years earlier the shield is surmounted with a lapwing cress but the shield is now quartered with both the arms of the Charnock family and that of the Molyneaux families.
I have now recreated this from the blazon, or description, of the arms revealing it in full colour. This was produced using the free open source Inkscape graphic arts package and the data base of Heraldic Images available from Armorial Gold at https://www.heraldryclipart.com
The advice and support from the Institute of Amateur Heralds has been much appreciated during the Covid-19 Lockdown which has given me the opportunity for extended study of the art and history of heraldry leading to success in their examination of Heraldic Knowledge
My assumed arms reflect the history of my family working in the Lancashire coal fields.
The black chevron, pick axe and black mantling are a reference to the coal seams where my grandfather and great grandfather hewed the coal. The canaries are in honour of my grandfather Edward Ball who bred canaries at the pit head so they could be used to test for the deadly methane gas. He brought this knowledge to good use when he opened his shop for cage bird fanciers in Chapel Street around 1909
The 'blew-bottles' or cornflowers are from the shield of Chorley family displayed in the panelling of the Hall and part of the Chorley Borough arms.
There is still a long way to go master a fraction of this ancient art.
Over the centuries various Armigerous families bearing Coats of Arms beginning with the Charnock family have displayed there shield with pride in the fabric of the building be it glass, wood or stone and these materials have preserved them to this day.
Then, as now, people adopted arms belonging to other families without right or permission. Today this is very prevalent among internet companies purporting to provide your Arms but, in reality, simply selling you copies of the arms of someone who shares your name but not, necessarily, your ancestry,
During the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England and VI of Scotland officers of the College of Heralds were charged with confirming families rights to the arms displayed at their homes. In the lands to the North of the River Trent this was the responsibility of Norroy King or Arms, now Norroy and Ulster King of Arms.
William Glover, visited Astley Hall in 1567 and confirmed the Charnock's right to the shield displayed, in replica, above the staircase from the Great Hall.
The three cross-crosslets on the bend that divides the shield was thought to be used by families that had travelled to the Holy Lands with the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries or had supported the crusades financially.
It is known from documents preserved in the Lancashire County Archives that Richard Charnock gifted the lands at Astley to the Knight Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem.
Some 46 years later in 1613, during the reign of King James another visitation took place, this time by Richard St. George. By this time Thomas Charnock was the owner of the hall and had married the heiress Bridget Molyneaux.
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This is barely visible behind the hedge, I was able to take a photo when the hedge lower though the shield was too high to remove the cobwebs.
As in the shield 46 years earlier the shield is surmounted with a lapwing cress but the shield is now quartered with both the arms of the Charnock family and that of the Molyneaux families.
I have now recreated this from the blazon, or description, of the arms revealing it in full colour. This was produced using the free open source Inkscape graphic arts package and the data base of Heraldic Images available from Armorial Gold at https://www.heraldryclipart.com
The advice and support from the Institute of Amateur Heralds has been much appreciated during the Covid-19 Lockdown which has given me the opportunity for extended study of the art and history of heraldry leading to success in their examination of Heraldic Knowledge
 |
| My assumed arms |
My assumed arms reflect the history of my family working in the Lancashire coal fields.
The black chevron, pick axe and black mantling are a reference to the coal seams where my grandfather and great grandfather hewed the coal. The canaries are in honour of my grandfather Edward Ball who bred canaries at the pit head so they could be used to test for the deadly methane gas. He brought this knowledge to good use when he opened his shop for cage bird fanciers in Chapel Street around 1909
The 'blew-bottles' or cornflowers are from the shield of Chorley family displayed in the panelling of the Hall and part of the Chorley Borough arms.
There is still a long way to go master a fraction of this ancient art.
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