Martin S. J. Goldstraw

Argent, on a chevron Gules three feathers Argent, between three swords erect Gules. Motto: «Ab Initio Goostrey».

Escudo de plata, un cabrio de gules cargado de tres plumas de plata, acompañado de tres espadas alzadas de gules, 2 y 1. Mote: «Ab Initio Goostrey».

Coat of arms interpreted by me as follows: with a rounded base; the motto and field illuminated in Argent; the chevron, with a wide angle in the Cheshire style, is illuminated in Gules and outlined in Sable; the swords and feathers illuminated in Gules and Argent respectively and all outlined in Sable; and the whole has a raised-stroke texture.

I have interpreted the coats of arms of the County of Cheshire produced by Martin Goldstraw with my own style, but I wished to preserve part of his in 2 of his most characteristic elements:

• his beautiful garbs ~ gavillas de trigo, which characterise the heraldry of the region and are present in the arms of this county, and
• his distinctive chevron, with a wider angle than the considered standard, almost necessary to leave space for the charges in many of the Cheshire shields.

Among the possible options of motto, device, mote and battle cry I have decided to classify «Ab Initio Goostrey» as a mote because it is not easy to understand without prior explanation. Martin Goldstraw's own biography provides this explanation when he states that his «interest in the heraldry of the County of Cheshire began when it became apparent that the origins of the surname Goldstraw lie in the surname of Goostrey». Goostrey is a small village in the county of Cheshire, of about 2,000 inhabitants, that was already a human settlement in the first millennium BC.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Gules, Chevron, Charged, Sword, Point upwards, Ordered, Between, Quill and Motto.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Goldstraw, Martin S. J..

County of Cheshire, visitation of 1663.

Party per bend sinister: 1 Or, three martlets Sable; 2 Sable, three martlets Or.

Escudo tajado: 1^o de oro, tres marletas de sable; 2^o de sable, tres marletas de oro.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a rounded base; the field illuminated in Or and Sable; the martlets outlined of the field and illuminated in Sable and Or; and the whole with a leather finish.

A coat of arms recorded in [Adams, A.; 1941] which Cheshire Heraldry blazons as follows: «Per bend sinister Or and Sable, six martlets counterchanged», note that no specific arrangement is specified for the martlets.

There is also an entry for «Allen de Brindley» in [Armytage, G. J.; Rylands, J. P.; 1909], but it only records the family tree without specifying the coat of arms.

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Blazon keywords: Party per bend sinister, Or, Sable and Martlet.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in the field tincture and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Allen de Brindley.

County of Cheshire, The Vale Royal, 1656.

Sable, a crozier Or, between three garbs Or.

Escudo de sable, un báculo de oro, acompañado de tres gavillas de trigo de oro.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a rounded base; the field illuminated in Sable; the crozier illuminated in Or, facing right on the shield and outlined in Sable; the garbs illuminated in Or and outlined in Sable; and the whole with a leather texture.

A coat of arms recorded in [King, D.; 1656] which in Cheshire Heraldry is blazoned as follows: «Sable a crozier in pale between three garbs Or».

As a curiosity, it can be observed that in [King, D.; 1656] and in Cheshire Heraldry, the croziers ~ báculos are depicted with their head facing left on the shield, whereas, in general, it is more common to represent them facing right; for my interpretation I have chosen this latter arrangement.

Since the three garbs are arranged in the usual heraldic manner, it is possible to omit the expression «2 y 1» or «ordered», though it may also be included to avoid any doubt.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Sable, Or, Crozier, Between, Wheat, Garb and Ordered.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Religious and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Delacres, Abbey of.

Cheshire, visitation of 1613.

Argent, on a bend Azure three garbs Or, bendwise.

Escudo de plata, una banda de azur cargada de tres gavillas de trigo de oro, puestas en banda.

Coat of arms interpreted as follows: with a rounded base; the field and the bend illuminated in Or and Azure; the garbs outlined in Sable and illuminated in Or; and with a leather texture.

A coat of arms recorded in [Armytage, G. J.; Rylands, J. P.; 1909] and in [Goldstraw, M. S. J.; 2013b], blazoned as «Argent, on a bend Azure, three garbs Or».

It is the norm in heraldry that charges upon a bend are arranged bendwise, so since the three garbs are disposed in this way it is possible to omit the expression «bendwise», though it may also be included to avoid any doubt, as I have done in this instance.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Or, Azure, Bend, Charged, Wheat, Garb, In bend and Bendwise.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Fitton de Carden, Clutton and Chester.

County of Cheshire.

Sable, three crescents Argent.

Escudo de sable, tres crecientes de plata.

Coat of arms whose bearer belongs to the County of Cheshire, interpreted with the following characteristics: the base of the coat of arms is rounded; the field is illuminated in Sable; the 3 crescents are illuminated in Argent and outlined in Sable using circular arcs; and the whole has a leather finish.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Sable, Argent, Crescent and Ordered.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Gleave de High Lea.

County of Cheshire.

Sable, three crescents Argent.

Escudo de sable, tres crecientes de plata.

Coat of arms of the County of Cheshire interpreted as follows: the base of the shield is rounded; the field is illuminated in Sable; the crescents are illuminated in Argent and outlined in Sable; and the whole is given a raised-stroke finish.

As «Gleyve de High Ligh» this coat of arms appears in [Rylands, J. P.; 1882] and [Goldstraw, M. S. J.; 2013a] and as «Gleave de High Lea» in [Armytage, G. J.; Rylands, J. P.; 1909], [Adams, A.; 1941] and [Goldstraw, M. S. J.; 2013b].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Sable, Argent, Crescent and Ordered.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Gleave de High Lea.

Cheshire, 1533-1580.

Azure, on a chevron Or, a martlet Gules, between three garbs Or.

Escudo de azur, un cabrio de oro, cargado de una marleta de gules, acompañado de tres gavillas de trigo de oro, 2 y 1.

Coat of arms interpreted by me as follows: with a rounded base; the field illuminated in Azure; the chevron, with a wide angle in the Cheshire style, is illuminated in Or; the garbs are illuminated in Or and all outlined in Sable; the martlet is also outlined in Sable, but illuminated in Gules; and with a leather texture.

Recorded in [Rylands, J. P.; 1882], [Goldstraw, M. S. J.; 2013a] blazons it as «Azure, on a chevron between three garbs Or, a martlet Gules for difference». The expression «...a martlet Gules for difference» means that the martlet has been added to the arms of a son who is not the eldest, to differentiate his shield from that of his father and his elder brother.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Or, Gules, Chevron, Charged, Wheat, Garb, Ordered, Between and Martlet.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Hatton de Woodhouse.

Cheshire, 1613, 1663 and Vale-Royal.

Azure, a chevron Or, between three lozenges Or.

Escudo de azur, un cabrio de oro, acompañado de tres losanges de oro, dos y uno.

Coat of arms interpreted with: a rounded base; the field and chevron illuminated in Azure and Or respectively; the lozenges in plain Or enamel and outlined in Sable; and with a leather finish.

In [Goldstraw, M. S. J.; 2013b] it is blazoned as «Azure, a chevron between three lozenges Or» and includes a crest blazoned as «Crest: An eagle with wings expanded Sable, beaked Or», which is not represented here.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Or, Chevron, Between, Lozenge and Ordered.

Style keywords: Rounded, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Leather.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Cheshire County.

Bearer: Hyde de Norbury.

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