August 18, 1997

Greetings unto Master Dmitrii Volkovich, Dragon; Lord Emrys Eustace, Rouge Scarpe; and the commenting members of the Midrealm College of Heralds; from Lord Paul Wickenden of Thanet, Escutcheon.

Here are the July 1997 submissions for your consideration and commenting. All commentary should be sent to the Rouge Scarpe Herald, Lord Emrys Eustace, by October 1, 1997, with copies to Dragon and myself. Unless otherwise stated, all name submissions will accept minor changes to grammar and/or spelling.

Every month I send out around 40 copies of this LoI and each month I receive about only eight or nine Letters of Comment. Folks, the rule is that you must produce at least one LoC every three months (copied to Dragon, Rouge Scarpe, and myself) or you will be removed from my mailing list. Unless you send me your LoCs or contact me personally to state that you are an exception to the rule (because you are a receiver of a complimentary copy, a principal herald, play golf with Broom, etc.), I'll assume you are no longer interested in commenting. To the rest of you who are sending me your LoCs religiously, a very big thank you!

On that same subject: I am the one who maintains the internal commenting roster and all address changes should be sent to me. Changing your address with Dragon or Rouge Scarpe is not sufficient!

Next month will feature the Pennsic submissions as well as some aged Ealdormere submissions and a large number of folks who are trying to beat the rate increase. In the previous two years, Pennsic submissions were not handled internally. In years prior to that, they were handled on separate LoIs. This year they will appear alongside regular submissions. It is my intention to process all of them in the next month. Thus, expect a very large LoI next month (so far, I count some 150 items for this LoI). Be prepared!

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1) Anne Renaud. New Name and Device. Azure, a moon in her plentitude between three mullets Or. (F) Würm Wald.

Anne of France was born in 1461 and was the offspring of Louis XI, according to Cook, The Royal Line of France. Bishop Renaud lived in the 12th century, according to Adams, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (167). The client cares most about meaning and requests that the spelling and grammar be corrected for the indicated language and meaning.

2) Cnut Ragnarsson. New Badge. [Fieldless] A compass star per pale argent and gules. (M) Jararvellir. {Name Reg. 7/89}

3) Colin Campbell. New Name and Device. Per pale azure and argent a chevron and in chief two boar's heads in fess couped close counterchanged. (M) Shattered Crystal.

The submitting pursuivant writes: "The name is a classic one, as evidenced by the many recorded Colin Campbells of the various chiefs (the Black, of Argylle, etc). It is reasonable to assume that many non-chief members bore the name without specific indicators that would point to leadership." Documentation of both elements comes from Martine, Scottish Clan and Family Names (65). The client will NOT allow changes to spelling or grammar.

4) Duncan MacLachlan of Strathlachlan. New Name and Device. Azure, a boar passant contourney, on a chief argent three mullets azure. (M) Rokeclif.

Duncan was the name of the chief of the House of Atholl in 1034-40, according to MacKinnon, The Scottish Highlanders (262). A Gilchrist Maclachlan lived in 1230 and the MacLachlan clan hailed from Strathlachlan in the 13th century or before, according to Ibid (195). The client cares most about language and meaning. He asks that the grammar and spelling be corrected for the indicated language and meaning.

5) Einar Gormson. New Name and Device. Per fess embattled argent and gules, a bow fesswise azure and an open book argent. (M) Ravenslake.

The attached documentation is quite extensive (and a bit redundant). Multiple references are made to King Gorm of Denmark who ruled in the 10th century. This is supported by seven different sources. No documentation for Einar is included.

Einarr is in Geirr Bassi (9). Einar may be a plausible spelling variant. Just in case there is any doubt, Gormr is in Ibid (10) and the correct patronymic would be Gormson.

6) Eirik Thorkelsson. New Name and Device. Argent, three arrows palewise in fess azure. (M) Shattered Crystal.

Eirik and Thorkel are mentioned in various sagas. Eirik is in Seven Viking Romances (157) and Seafarers: The Vikings (56-8). Thorkel is in Brønstead, The Vikings (91 & 205). No exact dates are listed but they are both in period. The client wants the grammar and spelling corrected for proper Norse.

The patronymic looks funny to me. Can someone help?

7) Elspeth Miriella of Wooded Hills. Name and Device Resubmission. Chevronelly argent and azure, a pine tree eradicated vert. (F) Shattered Crystal.

The original name (Elspeth Marielle of Wooded Hills) and device were returned by Rouge Scarpe at some point prior to 1996. Elspeth is dated to c1540 in Black as a short form of Elizabeth. Miriella is dated to 1199 in Gwynek's Feminine Given Names. The client wishes to have the grammar and spelling corrected for the indicated language. No documentation for "Wooded Hills" is provided.

8) Eoin Campbell. New Name and Device. Gyronny argent and gules, a hawk's head erased sable within a bordure counterchanged. (M) Far Reaches.

The client writes: "My understanding is that for both 'Eoin' and 'Campbell' there are numerous examples given in Black's Surnames of Scotland and that further documentation is not needed." The client wishes to have the grammar and spelling corrected for the indicated language and spelling, but cares most about preserving the current spelling (!).

For the record, you always need documentation. Campbell is in Black (129-130) with references starting in 1368 and mentions earlier. Eoin is a Scottish and Irish variant of John but is not as common in Black as the submitting pursuivant claimed.

9) Essylt ferch Bronwyn. New Device. Per bend sinister vert and sable, a decrescent argent and a rose Or charged with a rose gules, seeded Or, a bordure argent. (F) Gwyntarian. {Name Reg. 1/97}

10) Genevieve de Belleval. Device Resubmission. Azure, a quill argent, three estoilles in chief Or. (F) Caer Anterth Mawr. {Name Reg. 6/97}

The client's previous submission (Azure, semy of estoilles, a bend bretressed and cotised Or) was returned by Rouge Scarpe in February 1997 for redrawing. The client has gone for a complete redesign instead.

11) Geoffrey of Wroxeter. New Name.

(M) Dragon's Crossing.

Geoffrey is in The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History (II: 659) dated to 1205. Wroxeter appears on a National Geographic Society map of "Medieval England." The client will NOT permit changes to spelling or grammar.

Geoffrey is described as a Middle English name in Withycombe (128). Wroxeter was founded in c150 and known as Rochecestre in 1086, according to Mills, Dictionary of English Place-Names (373). It is not known when the spelling was first modernized.

12) Godfrey Avonsford. New Device. Or, two horses salient respectant sable, on a chief enarched gules three triskelions of three legs embowed and joined at the hip Or. (M) Shattered Crystal. {Name Reg. 5/95}

13) Henry Best. New Device. Azure, a goat clymant, a bordure embattled argent. (M) Dragon's Crossing. {Name Reg. 7/91}

14) Illana Garcia Blanco. New Name and Device. Azure, a bend sinister Or between an orchid and a unicorn head erased contourney argent. (F) Far Reaches.

The name was researched by St. Gabriel. Illana is cited to 1245 by Gwynek, Glossary of Personal Names in Diez Melcon. Blanco is dated to 1027 in Kremer, Bemerkungen zu den mittelalterlichen hispanischen cognomina, although the Academy notes that Blanca would be more period for a thirteenth century Spanish name (which is what the client asked them for). There is no mention of "Garcia" and no documentation for this middle element was provided. The client asks that the grammar and spelling be corrected for 13th century Spain and the intended meaning.

It is unclear why the client chose Blanco rather than Blanca if she really wanted a 13th century Spanish name but Blanco is probably registerable.

15) Kenneth Ulrich. New Device. Lozengy vert and Or, a domestic cat rampant maintaining in its forepaws a harp azure. (M) Shattered Crystal. {Name Reg. 1/94}

16) Magnus of Falkirk. Change of Registered Device. Or, a pale vert, overall two arrows inverted in saltire sable. (M) Shattered Crystal. {Name Reg. 2/90}

If this device is registered, he would like his current device (Per chevron argent and gules, two cockatrices combattant gules and three mullets of eight points, two and one, argent) released.

17) Matilda Hanscombe. New Name.

(F) Dragon's Crossing.

Matilda is found in Hanks & Hodges, Dictionary of First Names (229) and described as common in period England (William the Conqueror's wife, Henry I's daughter, etc). Hanscombe is in Reaney, Dictionary of British Surnames (153) and dated to 13th century or later.

Matilda is dated to 1189-1215 in Withycombe (213).

18) Nina Mirovna Korsakova for House Vulpes Astrum. New House Name and Badge. Per pale vert and gules, a compass star argent. (F) Jararvellir. {Name Reg. 12/95}

The intended language is Latin and the intended meaning is "fox star." It is a reference to the registrant's device (Vert, a fox passant contourney and in chief a compass star elongated to base argent). No documentation for the name is provided.

The client requests that the badge be jointly registered with Cnut Ragnarsson (name reg. 7/89).

19) Pawel, the twin of Birchwood. New Name and Device. Quarterly argent and sable, a buck goat's head erased counterchanged. (M) Aquilon.

This was pended on last month's LoI. Pawel is a Polish form of Paul, according to Chorzempa, Polish Roots (178). A "Wolf of Birchwood" is mentioned in Sienkiewicz, The Teutonic Knights (167). The client cares most about language and meaning.

The comma will have to be removed from the name and there is the question of the registerabilty of "the twin."

20) Rowenna de Montacute. New Name and Device. Argent, a rowan tree proper between two lions combattant sable. (F) Far Reaches.

Rowenna is from Talan's index to Reaney which lists the name "Roana" in 1212. Spelling is variable. Roana and Rowenna are both acceptable [to the client] but Rowenna is preferred. de Montacute is found in Reaney & Wilson (313) who note a William de Montacute in 1255. The client wishes the grammar and spelling corrected for the indicated language and meaning. She cares most about sound.

A rowan tree proper is leaved green with a brown trunk.

21) Rowenna of Falkirk. New Name and Device. Vert, a pheon and a chief indented Or. (F) Shattered Crystal.

Rowena is in Withycombe (247) who notes its usage is mostly due to the appearance of the name in Ivanhoe [but see the documentation provided for Rowenna de Montacute]. Falkirk is in Linklater, Survival of Scotland (51) as the site of one of William ["Braveheart"] Wallace's battles. The client requests that the grammar and spelling be corrected for the indicated language [English?].

22) Winifred Rose Hammond. New Name and Device. Argent fretty vert, a coney sejant sable. (F) Shattered Crystal.

Winifred and Rose are both taken from Gwynek, Late Sixteenth Century English Given Names. Hammond is given in Lower, English Surnames (163) and is undated. The client requests that the spelling and grammar be correct for [English].

Hammond is a header spelling in Reaney & Wilson (214) but is undated.

Yours In Service,

Paul Wickenden of Thanet

c/o Paul Goldschmidt
P.O. Box 56
Platteville WI 53818
608-348-6209

goldschmidt@uwplatt.edu

(inquiries only, no electronic commentary please!)

Dragon:

Dmitrii Volkovich
John Polzinetti
8142 Towson Blvd
Miamisburg OH 45342-6120

Rouge Scarpe:

Emrys Eustace
Joe Marfice
233 Perrine St
Dayton OH 45410