What Is It With Davids and Heraldry?

Is there something about the genetic makeup of people named David that brings them to an interest in heraldry?  Is there something about being named David that causes one to develop a liking for coats of arms?

Those are probably questions without any real answers, except maybe "no."  I don't know of anything about people whose given name is David which would lead them into this somewhat arcane field as an interest.

What brought on this particular musing was a recent (September 16, 2015) article on myKawartha.com about Peterborough, Ontario, Canada resident David Rumball.  I know David from his membership and participation in the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, of which I am also a member.  However, I don't happen to live in Canada, so he gets to be a lot more active in the Society than I do.  Indeed, he just stepped down this year after a two-year tenure as the RHSC President.

I especially remember one of the annual RHSC meetings which I attended where Mr. Rumball, David Cvet (another past RHSC President) and I billed ourselves as "The Three Davids."  Ah, good times!

Anyway, it's a really nice article about a really great guy who just happens to share a given name and an interest in heraldry with little ol' me.  (That's a picture of him with the grant of his coat of arms from the Canadian Heraldic Authority above.)  If you'd like to know more about David Rumball, you can read the entire biographical article at http://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/5841677-peterbio-david-rumball/

Canadian Heraldry by a Former American

In an Inside Toronto article on April 24, 2010, Canadian resident (formerly of New York) Donald Black was featured for his carved wooden coats of arms, including a photograph of one that he did last year for Canadian Governor General Michaëlle Jean.  The full article can be found on-line at: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/804781--coats-of-arms-maker-reaches-out-to-governor-general

His three-dimensional heraldic works are done in clear pine and poplar with an X-Acto knife, take about 80-100 hours to complete, and the finished works are about four feet by three feet.

As you can see from the photograph of his depiction of the Governor General's arms above, he does some really nice work!

A Specialized On-Line Heraldic Dictionary

Apparently, I haven’t been paying close enough attention. Even though I’m a member of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, and have been for some years, I had somehow missed the addition to the RHSC’s website of The Canadian Heraldic Dictionary by past President of the RHSC Kevin Greaves. Having had it pointed out to me in the latest issue of the RHSC’s quarterly newsletter, Gonfanon, I have not only gone to check it out myself, but I thought I would pass knowledge of it along to you. It can be found on-line at the RHSC website at: http://www.heraldry.ca/top_en/top_res_dictionary_rhsc.htm

It’s a little different from the usual heraldic dictionary, in that it does not give you a listing of all of the names of the tinctures, lines of division, common charges, etc. Those can be found in just about every heraldic dictionary ever printed and/or placed on-line. (Indeed, several of these can be found through links in the left-hand column of this blog, under “Some Good On-Line Heraldry Books”.) Where this Dictionary is different, and thus where it becomes especially useful in the study of Canadian heraldry, is in its definitions – with illustrations from actual grants of arms – of lines of division and charges found only in, or very rarely outside of, Canadian heraldry.

It’s a great resource, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the ways in which heraldry is being used, and incorporating new charges and lines of division,* today.


* Not that the addition of charges and lines of division is anything new to the field of heraldry. See, for example, my article “New Directions in Heraldry” which can be found on-line at http://www.baronage.co.uk/2002d/appleton.pdf and http://www.appletonstudios.com/Congress2002DBA.pdf  You may also use the link to the article in the left-hand column of this blog under “Articles I’ve Written”.