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HERALDRY LEARNING
LINKS
An
extensive listing of Heraldry learning links carefully researched to truly
assist the heraldry enthusiast and professional alike. We have deliberately
omitted sites with those annoying pop up ads; and sites that basically
provide duplicate information. As this link list grows, it will be divided in to
more categories. If you have a heraldry site and would like to be
included, drop us a note. Thank You for reporting a broken link.
HERALDRY CHARGES AND DEVICES
A pictorial glossary, of about 520 illustrations, representing the more
common heraldic terms. You can browse through these images; then, by
clicking on the picture of a heraldic figure, you will find out its name, in
6 languages (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch). This is
a terrific resource and a good place to start for those interested in
Heraldry. The link site is operated by Francois Velde, who works as an economist,
but has been a lover of heraldry since his childhood days, in France. A site
to Bookmark!
THE BOOK OF FAMILY CRESTS
This site brought to you by the folks at Ancestry.com
provides for blazons of crests (portion above the helmet), taken from the
famous Fairburn’s historical reference. It cover England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales. A valuable resource for studying English heraldry. A little
difficult to navigate but with practice you’ll get the hang of it. The
original book was likely scanned, so some of the spelling is off a little,
but otherwise, thank you to ancestry.com for providing this.
JAMES PARKER HERALDRY
Thanks to Jim Trigg for keeping this site going. The information is
based on the original book by James Parker, of 1894. The site is extremely
detailed as it describes heraldry terms and how they are applied in various
arms. It's a great links site to study, and let’s hope, it stays around for a very
long time.
IRISH FAMILY MOTTOES
A terrific site to look up your Irish family motto. Many of the mottoes you
will not find on other sites. Operated by Mervyn J Rossiter with our thanks.
Slainte
INTERNATIONAL MOTTOES
Brought to you by the folks at Euraldic, these are primarily the mottoes
you will find in Rietstap’s Armorial. Mottoes are in French, Latin, Spanish,
German and more. If you find a motto that interests you, select and copy it,
and try a Google search…you may find a translation. Good work Marc!
RIETSTAP'S ARMORIAL
Rietstap's Armorial was a marathon heraldry coat of arms project, of
some 150,000 coats of arms from around the world. Mr. Marc Letellier, who
owns this site, provides you with all the Blazons (descriptions) transcribed
from the original manuscript. Although it is in French, with a few short
lessons and maybe a good online dictionary, you can master it. It's one of
the most popular heraldry resources.
RIETSTAP'S ARMORIAL ONLINE
Thanks to Willem van den Berg who brings us this terrific learning site. A
convenient searchable database of this famous collection makes it easy to
find the name you are looking for. The author has spent hundreds of hours to
complete. There's a small subscription fee to view some 130,000 blazons
(heraldic descriptions of coats of arms) from around the world that is sure
to help the heraldry enthusiast and the professional alike. Very Impressive
Willem
DIT NAMES
If you’re into French surnames,
especially French Canadian or French American names (from Louisiana and the
like), this site tries to solve the mystery of “Dit Names”. The information
is provided by the American-French Genealogical Society, with compilation
and research by Rita Elise Plourde; when you get to site scroll down, and
read about “Dit Names”, before you start searching for yours.
BURKE'S GENERAL ARMOURY
This publication is the greatest collection of Arms, arranged alphabetically
under surnames. It is a registry of Armorial Bearings for England, Scotland,
Ireland and Wales from the earliest to the present (1884) time. There are
1500 blazons provided for free on this site….can't beat the price. The site
also offers coats of arms design.
FLEMISH HERALDRY
Brought to you by Brian Speer and
a work in progress, this site provides 540 blazons (heraldic descriptions)
of the families covered in Paul Bergman's Armorial De Flandre du XVIme
Siécle (16th cent). When you arrive at the site, click on
“Armorial” on the top bar. I suspect Brian will eventually be adding some
pictures for the “Ordinary” section of the site. Keep it up Brian!
CORNISH
HERALDRY
An excellent link site for Cornish blazons,
brought to you by UK Genealogy Archives. The site also provides
genealogy for hundreds of Cornish names. The Blazon is usually at the
top of the record. A learning link worth visiting. HERALDRY TRANSLATOR
Here you type in a heraldic term in French, German, English, Dutch, Spanish
or Italian to get the translation chosen. This is handy when you're
researching using a book that is not in your native tongue. It's the only
one available that we know of.
HERALDRY LEARNING
A DISPLAY OF HERALDRIE: by John Guillim (c1551 - 1621) being a complete
transcription of the first edition (1610) of this work. Thanks to Paul Grant
for making this site available; Guillim was one of the most famous heralds
of our time, and one often quoted.
FRENCH HERALDIC GLOSSARY
A beautiful site, some 1500 pages on Heraldry, created by Hervé Dupuis. The
Glossary of Heraldic Terms, although in French, is an excellent resource for
AG clients who understand that spoken word. Lots of great images and a very
impressive link section on French Heraldry. Good Work Hervé.
ECCLESIASTICAL HERALDRY
This site is brought to you by the good folks at “New Advent”.
Ecclesiastical heraldry naturally divides itself into various branches,
principally: the arms of religious corporations, and other bodies; the
insignia of ecclesiastical dignity, rank, or office; the charges, terms, and
forms of general heraldry having a religious or ecclesiastical origin,
usage, or character; the emblems or devices attributed to or typifying
particular saints or other beings venerated by the Church. A very
informative site!
PEERAGE
A genealogical survey of the
peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe. Thanks to Darryl
Lundy and his immense contribution for providing this site. When you get to
the site, simply click on a letter to see if your name is referenced.
SCOTTISH CLANS
From the good folks at
Scotclans.com out of Edinburgh, this site although commercial in nature has
some terrific resources for those researching Scottish clans, septs, crests
and clan histories. When you get to the site, click on Clan A-Z (at the top)
for a list of clans, and then click on the clan you want. It provides a
little history and other information on the clan. To see the badge/crest
click on “Crest” on the left. To look up a sept, click on “what’s my clan”,
from main page. Good work folks.
CYNDI’S LIST
We thought we would include this
famous site, started in 1986 by Cyndi Howells, the Queen of Genealogy. The
link is to the heraldry section, which provides some research links that we
may not have covered. I am always amazed when I drop by this site, and the
success it has enjoyed. Congratulations Cyndi
HERALDRY STUDY
The University of Notre Dame in
Indiana brings us this fine heraldry study site. It’s a good place to start
for those interested in the basics of heraldry and its applications.
HORIZONS-GRAPHIQUES
is a an educational site brought to you by Jean-Christophe Loubet. The
site is in French but provides some wonderful historical images, and a
vast list of resource links for the heraldry enthusiasts and
professionals alike. It’s a great addition to the Heraldry resource
library. Excellent work Jean-Christophe.
COATS OF ARMS IMAGES This links section includes coats of arms from various
countries, as well as personal arms; when the website is not in English we
provide you with instructions on how to access the images. Those of you in
the design business will find these heraldry links an excellent resource.
Here are some
great sites that feature coats of arms and other Heraldry images
GERMAN HERALDRY
If you are researching German heraldry this site has a
good selection of German coats of arms. The images are clear with most in
color, so you can easily design them. The site is in German, but all you
need to do, is click on a letter, and scroll down to see if the name you are
researching is there.
SWITZERLAND
Thousands of coats of arms are displayed, primarily
registered in the Swiss Canton of Lucern/Luzern. Just click on a letter.
Luzern was a sovereign state within the Holy Roman Empire since 1241. It
joined the Swiss Confederation in 1332. A nice resource, and worth visiting.
NETHERLANDS
A Dutch site operated by Walter Andreas
Groen who has done a nice job rendering several hundred Dutch coats of
arms. When you get to the site click on “Familiewapens” and this will take
you to an alpha listing. For contact information click on “Voor
reacties” which you will find on the far left, near the bottom
POLISH HERALDRY
This site is the definitive Polish Coat of Arms site. Polish Heraldry is
similar to the Scottish "Sept" system. The main family is called an "Herb"
and in each Herb there are many associated Polish families entitled to use
the Coat of Arms. The site is operated by a company called "Polish Roots"
and also features a lot of information concerning Polish history and Polish
Genealogy.
POLISH HERALDRY
Piotr Pawel Bajer provides us
with a detailed review of Polish Heraldry. The site is in English and with a
little browsing you’ll find some interesting Polish coats of arms. Nice work
Piotr!
INTERNATIONAL CIVIC COATS OF ARMS
Operated by Ralf Hartemink this site is probably the largest heraldry site
on the Net. It features Civic arms from just about every
country/canton/state in the world. It really is a nice resource and has
taken years to develop. Thanks Ralph for sharing your legacy with us.
SCANDINAVIAN HERALDRY
This page is owned by the Societas Heraldica
Scandinavica (SHS), the heraldry society, which since 1959 has united
heraldry enthusiasts in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Primarily written in one of the Nordic languages, although you will find
English descriptions as well. You can click on one of the shields to see the
full achievements. You will note that the charges used in some cases are
very unusual which likely explains why heraldry brokers rarely offer them.
The Society is also mentioned in the “associations” section.
SPANISH HERALDRY
An excellent free site to view thousands of Spanish individual coats of
arms; looks like they have been gathered from various sources by a company
called Virgosoft. A Good resource.
SPANISH HERALDRY
This link states that it provides 2500 Civic coats of arms and some
25,000 personal arms and blazons. Arriving at the site, click on "familia"
for blasons, "escudos" for personal arms. The word "enlaces" means "links".
It appears to be a work in progress, but well worth the visit.
KNIGHTS & ROYALTY
Thanks to Arnaud BUNEL for bringing this very unique
site to us. The European Royals, Knights and the Peerage of old. Click on a
letter and then click on a name to see the coat of arms representation. You
need to wear a crown to visit this site…it will certainly put you in the
mood.
SICILIAN NOBILITY
A nice research site featuring historical Coats of Arms
of the noble families of Sicily. Just click on “Famiglie Nobili” (which
means noble family). They are all listed in the center of the page. Each
family has a coat of arms displayed. An impressive resource.
ITALIAN NOBILITY-PIEMONTE
Hundreds and hundreds of coats of
arms of Italy’s Piedmont province. Scroll down and click on a letter to see
the coat of arms. Let’s hope this site stays up as it’s a fabulous reference
tool.
UKRAINIAN HERALDRY
Sites on Ukrainian heraldry are a
rare breed on the Web, and we’re pleased that this collaborative effort
could change this trend. The page we have given you has about 140 individual
arms, and if you click on “St Michael Order” on the top bar you will see
representations of the Ukrainian members of this famous Knighthood Order.
EUROPEAN ROLLS-13TH CENTURY
Brian Timms brings to us this
illustrated compilation, based on nine early rolls of arms from Britain,
France and the Netherlands. Brian has puts countless hours in to this fine
example of early heraldry.
PORTUGUESE
HERALDRY
A very fine Portuguese genealogy site featuring a
brief history of Portuguese (and some Spanish) surnames, as well as coat
of arms representations. A principal resource for Portuguese heraldry.
When you get to the site check out the "Livraria" section where they
offer some rare heraldry books. Worth book-marking.
SPANISH
HERALDRY
A well crafted site featuring an extensive
database of Spanish Coats of Arms. Type in the name, and click on BUSCAR.
The site is in Spanish but a picture is worth a thousand words. A
superior learning link offering the user a vast historical perspective
on Spanish Heraldry. A Commercial site, but a MUST visit.
REGISTRIES & SOCIETIES
This heraldry links section can very helpful when researching a coat of arms that you can’t
find through regular sources. You should keep in mind that sending an email
looking for free information is not likely to bring you a response. You
should, rather, offer to pay a nominal fee or donation for any information
you are looking for; this will help to show your sincerity. We have also
included Heraldry Societies that can register your coat of arms. You should
also note that many countries no longer have official bodies and seem to
rely on other associations to provide the assistance. Government web pages
can also be of help in directing you to a heraldic authority that may not
have a web presence, but may be able to assist you.
SCANDINAVIA
Covers all Scandinavian countries including Denmark,
Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland. For the email contact click on
“Kontakt”
SCOTLAND
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, but we are listing this link
separately, for your convenience. The Court of the Lord Lyon is the heraldic authority
for Scotland. It deals with all matters relating to Scottish Heraldry and
Coats of Arms and maintains the Scottish Public Registers of Arms and
Genealogies.
SCOTLAND
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, but we are listing this link
separately, for your convenience. The Heraldry Society of Scotland was founded in 1977
with the objective of promoting the study of heraldry and encouraging its
correct use in Scotland and Overseas. A very informative site.
IRELAND
The Chief Herald of Ireland is the State's authority on
all heraldic matters relating to Ireland. Arms may be granted, at the
discretion of the Chief Herald of Ireland, and subject to guidelines laid
down from time to time by the Committee on Genealogy and Heraldry, and the
Board of the National Library of Ireland.
GERMANY
The Imperial College of Heraldry of The Holy Roman
Empire of The German Nation, the supreme Governing Authority over all
Heraldic matters and usage of Heraldry in The German Empire of The First
Reich . The site is wide so you may need to adjust your browser, and at the
top left you can turn off the sound by clicking on the tiny black square.
Scroll down for contact information by mail or email
UNITED KINGDOM
Heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern
Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and most of the Commonwealth of
Nations.
UNITED KINGDOM
The Heraldry Society exists to increase and extend
interest in and knowledge of heraldry, armory, chivalry, genealogy and
allied subjects. The Society is non-profit making, and is registered as an
educational charity. Membership is open to all. Check out the members
arms….pretty.
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss Heraldry Society (Schweizerische Heraldische
Gesellschaft) has been in existence since 1891, and if anyone can help you
with your research they certainly can. The languages available are German,
French and Italian. They also have numerous links to Swiss oriented
websites.
FLEMISH
A Decree from 3 February 1998 allows the private
persons and the institutions to bear a coat of arms. The mode of enforcement
of the Law is prescribed by the Decree from 17 July 2000. The coat of arms
must be approved by the Flemish Heraldic Council. Here is their website.
Although in Dutch, one can browse and find an email link, and a postal
address for enquiries.
USA
The American College of Heraldry is a Chartered,
non-profit body established in 1972, with the aim of aiding in the study and
perpetuation of heraldry in the United States and abroad. Registrations are
restricted by policy to American citizens or residents, as well as to others
with significant personal or business connections in America.
USA
The Augustan Society’s program of registering coats of
arms, badges, and standards began in June 1966.
USA-MILITARY
The Institute of Heraldry’s purpose is to provide
information on United States Army heraldic entitlements; how they are
displayed, and how and why they are worn. A useful resource.
CANADA
The Canadian Heraldic Authority is responsible for the
creation of new coats of arms, flags and badges for Canadian citizens and
corporate bodies. Find out about heraldry and its role in Canada today.
Learn how armorial bearings are designed and granted, and see examples of
the work of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
PORTUGAL
Instituto Português de Heráldica (The Portuguese
Institute of Heraldry). When you get to the site click on “Entrar” to enter.
Then scroll down and click on”contactor o instituto”. This does not appear
to be a registering body but there is an email link for enquiries. The site
is a work in progress.
FRANCE
The Heraldic Council of France (CONSEIL FRANÇAIS
d'HÉRALDIQUE) can assist with registering a coat of arms and publishing it
in their armorial roll, which in turn is provided to France’s National
Library or the Genealogical Library in Paris. France no longer has an
official registering authority however this site can assist with research,
design and publishing in their rolls. Postal contacts are on the page
provided and if you would like to see some of the arms registered, click on
“Armorial du XXe siècle” in the left margin.
INTERNATIONAL
Burke’s Peerage & Gentry provides for an international
registry of coats of arms. When you get to the site click on “the
international register of arms” to see some of the armorial bearings they
have registered. They also have an extensive link section.
SURNAMES
Surnames can be found in many other categories, but if you get stuck, these
links can prove very helpful.
SURNAME ORIGINS
Suzanne McVetty is a professional Genealogist and brings this site to us.
Thousands of surnames from around the world with their origins fully
described. There is also a search function which is good to try out as they
may have some more information on the surname you’re researching. The site
is part of the "My Family" network.
SURNAME SEARCH
Brought to you by the good folks at Ancestry.com. It
offers a free search of surnames in the USA and in the UK based on census
records, and a little history on the name in most cases. When you get to the
site, enter your last name, and then click on “update”. If the name is
there, you can click on (left buttons) either “name distribution (US)” or
“name distribution (UK)”…a map of the distribution will then display. A very
helpful resource.
SURNAMES FRANCE
Brought to you by the fine folks at Linternaute.com. It
features the top 1000 surnames in France based on census records. You can
view the names in order of frequency or you can search for a name; it then
displays the number of instances of that name and their ranking, as well as
a map of France showing where they are located.
SURNAMES IRELAND
From the good folks at goireland.com, this is an
invaluable resource when researching Irish surnames. Simply key-in the name
you are researching and if they have it they tell you where the name is most
prevalent, and with many entries showing a brief history of the name. A Nice
site.
SURNAMES IRELAND
From the good folks at
the Irish Times, this link site offers invaluable information for the
Researcher of Irish surnames and more. You can key-in a name and it gives
you a description in the historical Irish/Gaelic language, as well as in
English; on the right side of your search results, you'll find the surname
variants. A site to bookmark.
SURNAMES
UK
From the good folks at
Name Origin Research, this link site offers origins on about 50,000
surnames, mainly from the UK. You can key-in a name and it gives
you a very nice history of the name; be sure to try spelling variants. A
wonderful resource for the genealogy and heraldry communities.
SURNAMES
POLISH CLANS
Brought to you by Andrzej Brzezina Winiarski a
published Polish heraldic writer. It seems to be one of the better list of
Polish clans and the families that belong to them. Thank You Andrzej for
making this available.
HERALDRY IN GENERAL
This
heraldry links section covers
heraldic artists, flags, heraldic bookplates, heraldry newsletters, and some
miscellaneous sites that you may enjoy.
FLAGS
The Flags of the World was created by Giuseppe
Bottasini, of Milan, Italy, assisted by Željko Heimer; soon Rob Raeside took
over as assistant, and in June 1998, Rob took over as Director. It’s likely
the largest heraldic flag resource available, and is the only site we are
mentioning at this time. When you get to the site, select “pages ordered by
Country”. Thank you Rob for keeping this going!
ARTISTS
The Society of Heraldic Art has a
very thorough listing of heraldic artists of all types. Most links have
beautiful art work with separate links to emails and websites of the various
artists. A Must see!
ARTIST
Inspired by historic and medieval art Susi Galloway's prolific fine art
and illustration career started at age 15 with formal studies and
training in Heraldic Arts. Further inspired by old masters she broadened
her scope from Heraldic Art to illustration and fine art. Her works have
garnered international awards. She has appeared in many papers,
magazines and on TV. Born and raised in Switzerland she loves to
continuously expand her horizons by traveling, meeting and mingling with
other cultures. Over the years she's lived, worked and/or traveled
throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and the USA. She currently
resides with her husband in Clearwater, Florida. Click on the Coats of
Arms Gallery to see some of her work. She is a talented gal!
ARTIST-BOOKPLATES
Marco Foppoli is an Italian artist that specializing in
heraldic art. Unique qualities about the service that Marco provides are his
custom bookplates, and his ecclesiastical heraldry work. The site is offered
in three languages. There is an email contact for prices. Beautiful work
Marco!
HERALDRY NEWSLETTER
Burke’s Peerage and Gentry offers a
newsletter they call “The Armorial Register” You will see a link at the top
of the page to subscribe to the email version.
HERALDRY NEWSLETTER
The Baronage Press, operated by Frederick Hogarth has
been around for years, and features online genealogical and heraldic data in
their archives section, and general information on the history of the
British Isles. Their on-line newsletter is called the Feudal Herald, and at
this writing, subscriptions are free. Always a good read!
GENEALOGY
Genealogylinks.net consists of 4,200 pages of more than 45,000 Free Genealogy Links; for US, UK, England, Scotland, Wales,
Ireland, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A Monstrous site, and
what a place to start your family research!
SCA
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an
international member based organization dedicated to researching and
re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. Operating for
some 40 years, the Society boasts some 30,000 members worldwide, and is
currently chaired by Jason Williams. A Must visit!
BOOKS
Heraldry Today must be your first choice for books on
heraldry and genealogy. Established in 1954, a member of The Antiquarian
Booksellers' Association, and having for fifty years kept careful records,
Heraldry Today has developed a unique bibliographical reference, which is
supported by an expert knowledge of Heraldry and Genealogy.
BOOKS
AbeBooks, the world’s largest online marketplace for
books, lists over 100 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books from
more than 13,500 booksellers. This great selection delivers value for all:
readers find bestsellers, collectors find rare books, students find
textbooks, and treasure hunters find books they’ve been seeking forever.
BOOKS
Alibris (pronounced "uh-LEE-briss") connects people who
love books, music, and movies to thousands of independent sellers around the
world. Our proprietary technology and advanced logistics allow us to offer
over 60 million used, new, and out-of-print books to consumers, libraries,
and retailers.
BOOKS
BookFinder.com is an one-stop ecommerce search engine
that searches over 100 million books for sale—new, used, rare, out-of-print,
and textbooks. They save you time and money by searching every major catalogue
online, and letting you know which booksellers are offering the best prices
and selection. When you find a book you like, you can buy it directly from
the original seller; they never charge a mark-up.
MEDIEVAL CASTLES
A terrific history resource center, focusing on
medieval castles, and includes a castle glossary. Read about some of the
most notorious castles in medieval Europe. A well crafted site!
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