Commoners' Arms in England

The following armory is compiled from two sources. The first is Sylvia Thrupp: The Merchant Classs of Medieval London, Chicago, 1948, whose appendix A lists information for all aldermanic families, that is, families who counted aldermen. The entries are quite detailed, and mention the existence of an armorial seal when applicable. The other source is the Catalogue of Seals in the Public Record Office (compiled by Roger Ellis, 1978-81, HM Stationery Office). It contains descriptions of seals found on deeds, mostly from the 13th and 14th c. When the document to which the seal is attached permits it, a description of the individual's rank or occupation is included. Seals may or many not have shields with armorial bearings (many have merchants' marks). Some of the individuals are well-known, and one finds dukes and earls. But there are many other people as well: many knights, esquires, knights bannerets.

Entries marked with a star are for names which only appear in the Catalogue of Seals, and it may be presumed that the individual was never an alderman. For the other entries, the date following the blazon is the date of the document on which the seal can be found. The reference, if any, (in the form of P followed by a number) is to the Catalogue. Unless specified otherwise, the arms are taken from a seal used by the individual.

It is interesting to note that arms were often hereditary, and that they can also be found used by an individual long before he became alderman. In fact, very often the seal was used 20 or 30 years before the individual's death or end of public life, which implies that the coat of arms was assumed early on in professional life.

A few of the coats have apparently survived to the 19th c., and they are mentioned in Burke's Landed Gentry (Poultney and Weld). Burke's General Armory mentions a few more, but it is not clear whether they are cited for historical reasons or because families still bore them.

(ald.=alderman of the City of London)

• Andrew Aubrey, pepperer, ald. 1333-55, sheriff 1331, mayor 1339, 1340, 1351. Saltire between four griffins' heads erased. (1349). His son John Aubrey, grocer, ald. 1370-77. Same arms (1377; P26).
• * John de Aulton, keeper of a manor 1325. a sword per bend with a rowel for pommel (P933).
• * Walter Bachelor, draper 1352. bend wavy bet. 3 mullets (P33).
• Nicholas Brembre, grocer, ald. 1372-77, 1378-9, 1380-1, 1382-3, 1384-8. Mayor 1377, 1383, 1385. Knighted 1381. Died 1388. A letter B beneath a crown (1377; P111).
• * Thomas Brown, king's poulterer 1305. two cocks affrontes (P1111).
• Stephen Broun, grocer, ald. 1429-60. a bird (1441).
1463-4. (no blazon available, helmet and crest (1434).
• * John de Burton, fishmonger 1374. chevron bet. 3 sexfoils, on chief a fish naiant (P153; sealed used by John de Cambridge, fishmonger).
• Thomas Carleton, broiderer, ald. 1382, 1388. Directs in his will that his shield of arms be placed on his tombstone.
• William de Cawston, mercer, ald. 1320-1, 1332-54, died 1354. chevron bet. 3 pierced mullets (1311; P175).
• Stephen Cavendish, draper, ald. 1358-72, mayor 1362, died 1372. quarterly, two cups in chief [sic] (1358, 1360).
• Adam Chaungeour, grocer, ald. 1376, 1378, 1383, 1384-93. a chevron between three crescents and two quintefoils (1379).
• Richard de Chigwell, fishmonger, ald. 1305-06. stag pierced by a spear.
• John Churchman, pepperer, ald. 1381, 1383-91. two bars beneath two pallets, in point an annulet (1382). Burke's has: barry of four arg. and sa. on a chief of the last two pales of the first and two variants.
• Thomas Cornwallis, vintner, ald. 1376, 1379, 1381, 1383-5. a fess between three quintefoils pierced (1368).
• John Costantyn, draper, ald. 1349-58, son of Richard, draper, ald. 1336-43. Died 1358-61. His son John, esq, died before 1416, directed that he be buried under a stone bearing his arms and a reference to his ancestors.
• * John Cosyn, proctor for merchants 138?. per pale, bendy sinister, and a bird perched on a tree (P1238).
• Richard de Croydon, fismonger, ald. 1367-75, died 1375. on a fess between three dolphins, three roundels (1370).
• Simon Dolsely, pepperer, ald. 1355-60, mayor 1360, died 1370. Left a manor owned in chief by knight's service. three martlets, a chief dancetty fretty.
• Robert de Ely, fishmonger, ald. 1329-33. a chevron between a fish and a roundel (1333; there is a shield for the same name, a chevron between two lions' heads and a sheaf, on a chief a pike dated 1331, P270).
• Nicholas Exton, fishmonger, ald. 1382, 1385-92, mayor 1387, 1388, MP 1385. fess between three horse's heads couped (1373, P278). Burke's armory gives different arms for this mayor.
• * Ralph Double, fishmonger 1380. chevron bet. 2 fish and a hunting horn (P249).
• * William Fleming, tax collector 1360. on a bend engrailed 3 wolf's heads erased w. a bordure engrailed (P1406).
• * John Fold, fishmonger 1317. two griffins segreant, on a chief a fish naiant (P304). Perhaps related to John Feld, fishmonger, ald. 1456-63?
• Roger de Forsham, mercer, ald. 1338-43, died 1348. a chevron between three mullets.
• Simon Fraunceis, mercer, ald. 1336-58, mayor 1343, 1356, died 1358. saltire between four quintefoils (from manuscript).
• Adam Fraunceis, mercer, ald. 1352-75, mayor 1353, 1354. a bend beneath a lion's face (1351).
• Frowick family, long line of mercers and goldsmiths from 13th to 15th c. Henry, knight of the shire in South Mimms, 1297-1377, used a chevron between three leopard's heads (1332, 1368). His son Thomas differenced with a mullet on the chevron (1361, 1369). Henry, mercer, ald. 1424-57, mayor 1436, 1445, great-grandson, used the same arms, undifferenced. The same arms are given in Burke's for this mayor.
• Benedict de Fulsham, pepperer, ald. 1327-38, died 1364. Used two different shields.
• John de Gloucester, fishmonger, ald. 1350-56, sheriff 1345, died 1356. chevron between two leopard's heads in chief and a fish in base (1328; P328). Burke's has: Az. a fess arg. in chief two leopard's faces or, in base a fish haurient of the second.
• John Hauteyn, mercer, ald. 1322-36, cross indented (1332).
• * Thomas de Hempnall, clothworker 1368. a pierced quintefoil (P386)
• Ralph Holand, tailor, ald. 1435-44, died 1452, lion rampant (1438).
• John Horn, fishmonger, ald. 1377, 1379, 1381. chevron between three bugle horns stringed (1401).
• * William de Hurley, carpenter 1337. chevron bet. 2 leopards' head and an axe (P1584).
• * John de Kesteven, merchant 1365. fess bet. chevron and annulet (P1622).
• * John de La Hyde Born, forester 1333. chevron bet. 3 buckles (P1587).
• Robert Launde, ald. 1376, 1378, 1380, knighted 1381, died 1382. three trefoils per fess, a chief dancetty (1377; P450).
• * Walter Le Vyelur, painter 1256. three viols (P832).
• * John Lightfoot, roper 1352 [shield is defaced] (P466).
• * Benedict Long, butcher 13th c.. fleur-de-lys, no shield (P484).
• * William Madefroy, baker 1314. griffon rampant, no shield (P1696).
• Henry Nasard, draper, ald. 1318-22. on bend bet. 6 crescents, 3 roundels (1314; P1799).
• John de Northampton, draper, ald. 1375-77, 1382-83, mayor 1382, 1383, MP 1378, died 1398. At one point jailed for malversations. a crowned leopard with one head, two bodies (1396).
• William Norton, draper, ald. 1406-20. His son William, gentleman, used a stag couhced (1440).
• * Robert Parson, skinner 1318. per pale, 3 leopards, and 3 chevrons (P1846).
• Henry Picard, vintner, ald. 1348-61. a fesse dancetty between 3 trefoils (1347; P1874); the same arms on a seal of John Picard, of London, 1402, 1407, 1415; P1875).
• * William Pickerel, saddler 1350. 3 fishes naiant (P618).
• * Giles Pickman, fishmonger 1348. chevron bet. 2 crosses botony fitchy in chief and a dolphin in base. Perhaps related to Andrew Pikeman, fishmonger, ald. 1376-77, 1378-9, 1380-1, died 1391, who bore a mullet pierced.
• John Pile, mercer, ald. 1369-77, 1378-9, mayor 1373. Extensive properties. Arms on monument and seals: bend bet. two pierced mullets (1359; P620).
• John de Poultney, draper, ald. 1327-35, 1336-38, mayor 1330, 1331, 1333, 1336, knighted 1337, died 1349. Ancestor of the earls of Bath. a fess dancetty beneath three leopard's heads (1335). Burke's has Ar. a fess dancetty gu. in chief three leopard's heads sa. (or az.) and one variant.
• * John Rokesacre, mason 1367. a chevron bet. 2 roundels and a crossbow (P1958).
• * Adam Rous, surgeon 1378. gutty, on chief indented 3 bottles (P672).
• Henry de Seccheford, mercer, ald. 1319-26, chamberlain 1328-36, died 1337-9. ermine on a fess three escallops (1313).
• Simon Seman, vintner, ald. 1422-33, died 1433. barry wavy a crescent (on brass of his tomb).
• Walter Sibile, stockfishmonger, 1377, 1379, 1381, died before 1400. a chevron between three eagles displayed. (1382).
• Adam Staple, mercer, ald. 1372-77, 1378-9, 1380-1, mayor 1377, died before 1384. fess between cross and annulet (1359-60). Burke's has a salitre between four staples for this mayor.
• John de Stody, vintner, ald. 1352-76,died 1376. billety (or ermine), on a saltire engrailed five charges (1361; P751). Burke's has: ermine, on a saltire engrailed sa. five leopard's heads sa.
• Simon de Swanland, draper, ald. 1327-34, mayor 1329, knighted 1337. Bought a manor at North Mimms, one son called esquire. a fess dancetty between two swans in chief and a lozenge (1327). Burke's has three swans for this mayor.
• Elias de Thorpe, skinner, ald. 1377. field of clove, canton with circle and cross above mullet (1360, 1400).
• William de Todenham, mercer, ald. 1349-70. Son Thomas died 1372, used per saltire, in chief a cros between two letters T, in base a leopard's head.
• John Torngold, fishmonger, ald. 1365-77, died 1378. semy of crosses crosslets, two fishes in saltire, over all a key (1332, 1373).
• William Walworth, fishmonger, ald. 1368-77, 1378-79, 1380-1, 1382-3, 1384-5, sheriff 1370, mayor 1375, 1381, MP 1383, knighted 1381, died 1385. ragged staff in bend between two sheaves (1377; P843). Burke's has Gules a bend raguly arg. between two sheaves or for this mayor.
• William de Welde, draper, ald. 1349-72. fess nebuly between three crescents (1343). Burke's has several families with variants of Az. a fess nebuly between three crescents ermine.
• Robert Whytingham, draper, ald. 1417-38, knighted before 1440, died 1452. cock and star (1419).

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