‘Heraldry is the fusion of fact and fancy, myth and manner, romance and reality. It is an exuberant union of family, art, and history ’ (Charles J. Burnett and Mark D. Dennis, The Lion Rejoicing, 1997)
Before writing this article, I began to list the many ways in which knowledge of heraldry can bring benefit to genealogical research. My vivid imagination immediately transported me to a famous scene in Monty Python’s film The Life of Brian, when a group of disenchanted citizens, led by the incongruously named ‘Reg’, debate the contribution made by the
Romans to civilisation. The list of innovations starts small, but ultimately extends to sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system and public health.
And so it is with heraldry and all…