Cheshire Heraldry - The Armorial Bearings recorded in the Cheshire and Lancashire Funeral Certificates

The Armorial Bearings recorded in the
Cheshire and Lancashire Funeral Certificates
illustrated in colour by Martin S. J. Goldstraw

Mrs. Agnes Fletcher, 1601.
Arms: Argent, three bears' heads erased Gules, muzzled Or; in chief as many pellets; a crescent Azure in the fesse point for difference.

These are the arms of Wall, Mrs. Fletcher was the daughter of William Wall, Alderman of Chester.

Mrs. Elizabeth Fletcher, 1627.
Arms: Quarterly 1 & 4, Argent, a bend engrailed Sable; 2, Argent, a griffin segreant sable, ducally crowned Or; 3, Argent, an eagle Sable praying on an infant proper, swaddled Gules, banded Or; overall a crescent on a crescent for difference.

These are the arms of Radcliffe (Ratlife). Mrs. Fletcher was the daughter of John Ratlife, sometime Mayor of Chester.

Richard Fletcher, 1634.
Arms: Argent, three bucks trippant reguardant Gules, attired and unguled Or.

Andrew Gamul, Alderman, 1626.
Arms: Quarterly of six; 1 & 6, or, three mallets Sable; 2, Sable a mullet Or, between three leopards' heads jessant de lis Argent; 3, Azure a fesse dancetee Argent, in chief three escallops of the second; 4, Gules, three boars' heads couped Argent; 5, Azure, an estoile issuing from a crescent Argent; over all a crescent Sable on a mullet Or for difference.

Crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or a trefoil of the same between two wings expanded Sable, a crescent Or, on a mullet Sable for difference.

These are the arms of Bellot (Billet/Billit) of Morton.
Mrs. Gamul was the daughter of Edward Billet of Morton Esq.

Mrs. Mary Gamul, 1631.
Arms: Quarterly of eighteen: 1 & 18, Argent, on a chief Gules, three cinquefoils of the first; 2, Argent, on a bend Sable, three round bucles of the first; 3, Gules, a chevron between three lozenges Argent; 4, Ermine, on a saltire Azure, five fleur de lis Or; 5, Azure, a garb Or; a crescent for difference Gold; 6, Sable, a cross flory Argent; 7, Azure, three pheasants Or; 8, Quarterly, Argent and Sable, a cross flory counterchanged; 9, Vert, three stumps of trees couped and eradicated Argent; 10, Argent, a bend sable between three pellets; 11, Azure, an eagle displayed Argent; 12, Gules, three swords erect, two and one Argent, hilts Or; 13, Or, six eagles displayed, three, two and one sable, a canton Ermine; 14, Argent, three birds Gules; 15, Sable three owls (?) Or; 16, Azure, two bars Argent; 17, Or a fesse Azure.

Mrs. Dorothy Golborne, 1631.
Arms (in a lozenge): Quarterly 1 & 4, Sable, three garbs Or, within a bordure Argent; 2 & 3, ermine, on a bend cotised Gules, three crescents Or; all four quarterings within a bordure engrailed gobone Or and Sable.

N.B. I have not emblazoned these arms in a lozenge!

These are the arms of her father, Richard Berkenhead, sometime Recorder of Chester.

Mrs. Dorothy Greene, 1601.
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three crosses crosslet fitchee Sable, a crescent for difference [Davenport]; Impaled with Gules, a lion rampant per fesse Argent and sable crowned Or langued Azure, charged on the shoulder with a trefoil Vert [Greene].

Edward Greene, Gentleman, 1673.
Arms: Quarterly 1 & 4, Azure, three bucks trippant Or, on a chief of the second, a crescent for difference; 2 & 3, Argent, on a fesse Sable, three mullets of the first pierced of the second.