The Handbook to English Heraldry (Paperback)

Paperback. SUPPORTERS"Standing by the Shield In silence." -IDYLLS OF THE KING.A SUPPORTER is a figure, sometimes of an angel, frequently of a humanbeing, but more generally of some animal, bird, or imaginary creature, soplaced in connection with a Shield of Arms as to appear to be protecting andsupporting it. In English Heraldry a single Supporter is of comparativelyrare occurrence, but a number of examples are to be found in the Heraldry ofScotland. In early examples, when two Supporters appear, they are in mostcases alike: but, more recently (except in the Heraldry of France), the twofigures are generally quite distinct the one from the other, the earlier usage ofhaving the two Supporters alike being less frequent. The modern prevailingpractice in England is happily exemplified in the well-known instance of thepresent Royal Supporters, the Lion and the Unicorn.Supporters are considered to have been introduced into theHeraldry of Eng-land during the reign of EDWARD III.; but they may with greater accuracybe assigned to the middle of the fifteenth century, than to the second halfof the fourteenth. As armorial insignia of a very high rank, Supporters are3 CHARLES BOUTELLgranted in England only by the express command of the Sovereign, except toPeers and Knights Grand Cross and Knights Grand Commanders. In Scot-land, where they occur more frequently than in the Heraldry of the Southof the Tweed, the "Lord Lyon" has power to grant Supporters. Originallyby the Scottish Heralds these accessories of Shields were entitled "Bearers."Supporters are now granted, on payment of fees, to all Peers of the Realm todescend to the holders of a specified Peerage, and to Knights of the Garter, Thistle, and St. Patrick, and to Knights Grand Cross and Knights GrandCommanders of all other orders of knighthood to be borne for life. MostNova Scotia Baronets and Chiefs of Scottish Clans have supporters regis-tered with their arms.Supporters probably owe their origin rather to several concurrent circum-stances, than to any one particular circumstance. The mere fact of a Knightcarrying his own armorial Shield, or his Esquire bearing it beside him, mightsuggest the general idea of some supporting figure in connection with a rep-resentation of that Shield. The act of carrying a Banner of Arms, in like man-ner, might suggest a representation of a "Supporter" for a Shield of Arms.To early Seals, however, Heraldry is in an especial degree indebted for thedevelopment of the idea of Supporters, and for bringing it into a definiteform. Again, the prevalent use of Badges in the fourteenth century, andin the fifteenth also, would necessarily exercise a powerful influence in thesame direction; and would lead Heralds to associate with Shields of Armscertain other figures which, while in themselves distinct and independent, were closely allied with certain Shields of Arms. The prototypes of true Sup-porters, indeed, as they appear on Seals, are Badges. In fact, it is often diffi-cult to determine whether specified figures on the Seals of a certain periodare heraldic supporters or merely representations of Badges.An Effigy represented upon a Seal, as in No. 405, the Seal of DEVORGUILLACRAWFORD, about A.D. 1290, from LAING'S Volume: or in Nos. 316, 317, would be even more than a suggestion of a Supporter. The same maybe said, when some figure, almost certainly a Badge, was Uncover the majestic history of the guardian figures th Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.…