| Title: | Celt Notefile | 
| Moderator: | TALLIS::DARCY | 
| Created: | Wed Feb 19 1986 | 
| Last Modified: | Tue Jun 03 1997 | 
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 | 
| Number of topics: | 1632 | 
| Total number of notes: | 20523 | 
    The National Genealogical Society Ethics Committee recently issued the
    following warning on Coats of Arms:
    
    Several companies sell coats of arms or ancestral arms for thousands of
    surnames. Some employ artists to design original coats of arms; others
    adapt coats of arms found in books.
    
    Coats of arms purchased in shopping malls or by mail order are most
    likely not related in any way to the purchaser's ancestry. Rules for
    the use of authentic coasts of arms differ.
    
    You may rightfully use British coats of arms only if you can trace your
    ancestry through the male line directly to the man who was granted that
    coat of arms. To ensure authenticity, you should register your arms
    with the English College of Heralds or the Scottish Lord Lyon, King of
    Arms.
    
    Does any one know how this effects Irish names?
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1518.1 | Caveat Emptor & you get what you pay for! | NEMAIL::HANLY | Fri Oct 13 1995 13:47 | 12 | |
|     The heraldry companies in shopping malls are only accurate in a
    sweeping, broad sense.  For example, they will give you the origin of
    the name and coat of arms, etc, but it may not apply to your particular
    branch of the family or sirname.  They are only accurate becasue they
    copy Lysagt's and other publications printed in Ireland and England
    verbatim.  Because they do it in the US, they escape legal
    ramifications and provide a quick, inexpensive solution to many.  As
    long as you don't pay much and expect a lot, the mail order and
    shopping mall heraldry companies are alright.  This is all based on my
    opinion and some research my father did.
    
    Regards,   Ken Hanly
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