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. Margaret Hockenhull, 1613.
Late wife of John Hockenhull of Prenton, daughter of Peter Hockenhull of Hocknell.
Arms: Quarterly 1st and 4th, Argent, a horse's [ass's] head erased Sable, and in chief a crescent [Hockenhull of Prenton]; 2nd, Sable, three crescents Argent [Gleave]; 3rd, Argent, on a bend Sable, three spears' heads of the field [Prenton]. Impaling, quarterly 1st and 4th, [Argent] a horse's [ass's] head [erased Sable: Hockenhull of Hockenhull]; 2nd and 3rd, ........ a plain cross Sable [Shotwick?]

For an explanation of the arms see the entry in my weblog.

Mrs. Elizabeth Holford, 1601.
Daughter of Sir Randle Mainwaringe of Pevor, Knight. First married to Peter Shakerley and after married to Christipher Holford Esq.

Shakerley bareth Argent, a chevron between 3 rush hills within a bordure ingrailed bezantie. The 2, Sable, three shuttles ..... Argent 2 and one, The 3, Azure, 2 barres Argent. The 4, Azure, a garb Or. The 5, Sable, a cross patonce Argent. The 6, Azure, 3 fezauntes Or.
Mainwaringe bare Argent, two bares Gules. The 2, Azure, three garbs Or. The 3, as the 2. The 4 as the first. Holford Argent, a chevron inter three text Ts Sable. The 2, Argent, a greyhound Sable. The 3, Argent 3 bulles heade Sable. The 4, as the firste.

A somewhat faulty blazon accompanied by an image.

The first image is Shakerley impaling Mainwaring, the second image is a bit of a conundrum as the 1st and 4th quarter with the text Ts is Toft. The Holford arms are usually depicted as Holford of Holford
Arms: Quarterly.
1 Argent, a greyhound passant Sable
2 Argent, three bulls' heads cabossed Sable [Bulkeley]
3 Argent, a chevron between three [Old English] text T's Sable [Toft]
4 Argent, a boar [greyhound?] passant Sable

Crest: A greyhound's head couped Sable.

John Hope, Gentleman, 1633.
Son and heir to George Hope of Dodleston. He died in his father's lifetime.
Arms: Quarterly of nine: 1, Argent, a chevron engrailed Sable between three birds [storks?*] ... beaked and legged Gules; 2, Gules, three uncorns' heads couped Or; 3, Azure, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lis Or, on a canton .... two roundles ... [?]; 4, Argent, two bars Gules, each charged with three bezants, a crescent for difference; 5, Per bend sinister Ermine and Ermines, a lion rampant Or; 6, Azure, a lion rampant Argent, within a bordure of the second; 7, Or, a lion rampant Gules; 8, Or, a lion rampant Gules within a bordure of the second; 9, Azure, three boars passant in pale Argent; over the first three quarterings a label of three points Vert.

*In the Funeral Certificate for Mrs. Katherine Davenport, 1634, the birds are recorded as herons or stalks [storks].

There are a number of uncertainties about this achievement. In the first quarter, although the arms recorded for Mrs Katherine Davenport have the birds recorded as herons or storks, the nearest match in Burke's G.A. is that of Hope (Grangefield co. Derby) Argent, a chevron engrailed Sable between three Cornish choughs proper. In quarter three, the tinctures of the canton and the two roundels are not specified so I have made a complete guess until I can research the matter further.

Anthony Hough, Gentleman, 1605.
Arms: Quarterly 1st and 4th, Argent, a bend Sable; 2nd and 3rd, Argent, a wolf's head erased Sable.

Mrs. Elizabeth Hurleston, 1628.
Daughter and coheir to James Mainwaringe of Croxton.
Arms: (in a lozenge) Quarterly of four: 1 and 4, Argent, on two bars Gules, three cinquefoils Or; 2, Sable, a lion rampant Argent, debrused by a bendlet gobony Or and Gules; 3, Argent, a chevron engrailed between three garbs Sable.