Unto Shauna Laurel, Margaret Pelican, Evan Wreath, and the commenting members of the College of Arms do Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian send greetings!
The following item from the Æthelmearc XLoI dated March 27, 2004, has an incorrect tincture in the blazon. It should read as follows.
3. Cazimir Ryndin – New name, New device
Sable, three ravens displayed and on a chief argent a kris blade fesswise sable.
Unto Shauna Laurel, Margaret Pelican, Evan Wreath, and the commenting members of the College of Arms do Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian send greetings once again! It is the desire of the Æthelmearc College of Heralds that the following items be considered for registration. Unless otherwise noted, submitters will accept any changes. Also, all reasonably standard online name articles (such as those archived at sca.org or panix.com) are fully cited in the bibliography at the end of this letter, in an attempt to keep the name documentation more visually compact.
This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter requests authenticity for Anglo-Saxon language / culture and cares most about the meaning 'elf-gift the harpist.'
Ælfgyfu is found in Marieke van de Dal's article at St. Gabriel, "Anglo-Saxon Women's Names from Royal Charters." It is listed s.n. Ælfgifu, and dated to 1042. Furthermore, an image from Trinity College's collection of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts (http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/sdk13/LibVitNM.html - click on 1 'whole page' or 2 'detail') shows a leaf dated to 1031 bearing the inscription "Ælfgyfv regina Cnvt rex."
seo is the nominative feminine form of the Anglo-Saxon / Old English definite article 'the,' according to the Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/t3etym.htm).
hearpestre can be found on p. 151 of A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by John R. Clark Hall, available online at http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oe_clarkhall_about.html The entry gives hearpestre as '(female) harper.'
Concerning the use of this type of occupational byname: Although we could not find further evidence for its use in Anglo-Saxon, Thuresson's "Middle English Occupational Terms" gives, on p. 185 in the "Musicians" section s.n. Harper, numerous citations for people with this occupational byname, as early as William Harpur in 1199. There is one female cited, Isabell le Harpere in 1305. The entry adds, "OE hearpere and AF harpour == OF harpeor. – Harper." By the 13th century this occupational byname seems to be very well established, and we believe that its use in an earlier Anglo-Saxon form is reasonable.
2. Beatrice de Winter – New device
Argent, a chameleon statant contourny vert and on a chief embattled sable three hangman's nooses argent.
Her name was forwarded to Laurel on XLoI Æ72 (Nov 2003).
Concerning the registerability of the chameleon, the consulting herald has included a citation from the OED (s.n. chameleon) showing the word in use as early as 1340, spelled gamelos. The chameleon has been registered as recently as July 2001.
3. Bryan Adyngton – New name, New device
Per chevron throughout sable and argent, three Latin crosses pointed counterchanged argent and vert.
This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 14th century English, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the sound.
Bryan is found once (s.n. Brian) in Mari's article, "Masculine Given Names Found in the 1332 Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lincolnshire, England," and also once in Julian Goodwyn's "Brass Enscription Index" where it is cited in 1529.
Adyngton is also found in Mari's 1332 Lay Subsidy Rolls article, with one John de Adyngton' as well as a Philip de Adington'.
4. Gyles de Blair – New name, New device
Gules, three frets couped argent and a chief Or.
This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter cares most about the sound.
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology has a compilation of names taken from brass rubbings, available online at http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/ash/ departments/antiquities/brass/ The compilation lists amongst the Buckinghamshire rubbings a 'Gyles Eyre & wife Elizabeth' in 1500 and in the Dorset section a 'Sir Gyles Strangewayes' in 1562.
Reaney & Wilson, s.n. Giles, gives one William Gyles in 1296. Furthermore, Symon Freser's article, "13th & 14th Century Scottish Names," cites the spellings Gelis and Gylys in a 1487 manuscript of John Barbour's 'The Bruce," suggesting Scottish usage of the name, and reasonable compatibility with the lowland byname 'de Blair.'
de Blair is found in Black s.n. Blair, with Brice de Blair and Alexander del Blair in 1205.
5. Reynold Wolferton – New device
Quarterly vert and argent, two wolves rampant vert.
His name was registered in 02/02. His previous device (Quarterly vert and argent, two wolves rampant argent) was returned at Kingdom in January of this year for conflict.