Royal Licence: Sir William Adams 1825

eBay vendor, collectoriam33, is offering for sale the 1825 exemplification of the Royal License permitting Sir William Adams of Albemarle Street, Middlesex, to use the surname of Rawson in lieu of that of Adams and that he may bear the Arms of Rawson quarterly in the first quarter with the Arms of Adams.

Sir William’s wife, Jane-Eliza, was the youngest surviving daughter of Lt Col George Rawson of Belmont, Co. Wicklow.

Arms: Quarterly 1^st & 4^th Per fess Sable and Azure a quadrangular castle with four turrets Argent and in base two bars wavy of the last and (for distinction) a canton Ermine (for Rawson)

2^nd & 3^rd Per fess Azure and Sable on a pale between two mullets in chief Argent a mullet between two crescents of the second (For Adams)

Crests: 1) Issuant out of clouds proper a cubit arm vested Gules the hand in glove Azure holding an anchor fesswise the flukes towards dexter Or the arms charged (for distinction) with a rose Argent (for Rawson)

2) On a mount Vert an eagle standing reverse way and reguardant wings expanded proper beak and legs Or holding in the mouth a mullet Sable the sinister claw resting on a crescent reversed gold. (for Adams)

Motto: Arx Et Anchora Mihi Deus

Dated: 11^th April 1825

Garter:  Sir George Nayler

Clarenceux: Ralph Bigland

The offspring of Sir William and his wife could bear the Arms without the distinctions. However, that does not seem to be the case in the entry in Fox-Davies’ Armorial Families.