Borrowed Arms?

I have been researching Plowman family genealogy and heraldry on and off for some years now. Back in 1989 I had a search of their records by the College of Arms the result of which can be seen HERE. Recently I have been pondering various Arms listed in Burke’s General Armory (BGA) that do not appear in the records of the College of Arms. The one “used” by the multitude of heraldic bucket shop is “Vert a cross voided Argent.” I recalled that in 2001 a post at Genforum advised that there was a monument to John Bellamy Plowman in St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, London. Was this perhaps the source of the entry in BGA?

On Thursday 6th August 2009 James Drabble very kindly undertook a visit to the church on my behalf. He provided some photographs of the monument.

Unfortunately, the Arms displayed bear no resemblance to anything associated with the name Plowman.

image001

image002

Advertisements

Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or – Who to believe?

Recently I was looking at the Arms for Pope – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or. In my attempt to narrow things down I seem to have found that the field has widened!

Papworth reveals a number of surnames/families “using” those Arms: Baconsthorpe

Cutler of Lechlade,Glos

Garnatt,Garnet(t)

Garunt [shown as listed in Glover’s Ordinary.]

Gurnut,

Pope of Cornwall

Whitwell of Northants.

Edmondson’s; A Complete Body of Heraldry (1780):

Baconthorpe – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or

Cutler [Suffolk] – Azure three dragons’ heads erased Or langued Gules.

Garnatt or Garnet [Westmoreland & Essex] – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or two and one

Garunt – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or

Pope – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or two and one.

Using the search facility at Armigerous Ancestors it came back with;

Cutler, Garnet and Wethill.

I had a look in the Visitations.

Walter Metcalfe’s 1882 “Visitation of Suffolk 1561”.

Nicholas Cutler of Eye – Quarterly 1st & 4th Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or (Cutler) 2nd & 3rd Argent three tridents erect Sable (Worthington).

Harleian Society’s 1981 “Visitation of Suffolk 1561” Cutler of Eye – Quarterly 1st & 4th On a fess cotised between three dragons’ heads erased Or a cock between two birds rising (or doves rising) 2nd & 3rd Argent three tridents erect Sable

Also

Harleian Society’s 1887 “Durham Visitation Pedigrees 1666” John Garnett of Eaglescliffe – Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or.

Do we assume that the 1981 edition for Visitation of Suffolk is more accurate and that the Arms “Azure three griffins’ heads erased Or” are actually those of Garnett?

Edited to add:
The College of Arms believe the Arms are those of Garnet. My thanks to Michael Pope for the transcription of the letter sent to his father. Link to the letter.