How to Find Family Heraldry
Many people are curious about their ancestors and study their genealogy in a quest to understand their family's past. For descendants of royal families, researching your family's heraldry is one of the few ways to find ancient ancestors because before the 16th century records were scarce. According to the College of Arms of the United Kingdom, there are some common misconceptions about heraldry. Heraldry was not tied to specific surnames but to individuals. In fact, many people who have the same last name could carry very different heraldry.
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Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet access
- Access to public records
- Access to a public library
Instructions
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Do some basic genealogical research to identify persons of royalty in your lineage. According to the College of Arms of the United Kingdom, this person must be a paternal ancestor, or an ancestor from your father's side of the family. You may want to begin with an established, respected genealogical website such as http://www.ancestry.com, which charges a monthly fee based on the subscription that you choose and offers the option of hiring an expert genealogical researcher.
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Visit the genealogical collections of public libraries and courthouses in the counties where your ancestors lived for birth, death and marriage certificates. Always call or check websites for information about hours of operation and the resources available before traveling. You may also find important information such as old newspaper clippings pertaining to your relatives. Another option for obtaining birth, death and marriage certificates is your state department of vital records.
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Trace your lineage back far enough to identify any members of your family that you believe are of royal descent, then contact their country's royal college of arms to verify your ancestor's heraldry. Heraldic researchers at the colleges of arms can assist you in proving and claiming your royal heritage, as well as finding your family's accurate heraldry. See the resources section for the websites of several colleges of arms.
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Read the book "Handbook of Heraldry: With Instructions for Tracing Pedigrees and Deciphering Ancient Manuscripts" by John E. Cussans for more information and a guide in outlining your family history. This 19th century book from the University of Virginia Library can be read entirely on Google Books. Go to http://books.google.com, type in the title and click the search books button to access it.
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Search free websites for heraldry by surname, if your search for family heraldry is just for your entertainment purposes. These results are likely to be less accurate than a genealogical search using your specific family records. Some websites to try are http://www.ancestorhunt.com/family-coat-of-arms.htm and http://www.heraldicresearchcenter.com.
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