Æthelmearc Letter of Intent Æ85
March 24, 2005 (AS 39)

Unto Francois Laurel, Margaret Pelican, Gwenllian Wreath, and the commenting members of the College of Arms does Christopher Garnet send greetings! It is the desire of the Æthelmearc College of Heralds that the following items be considered for registration. 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.

I would like to thank the College of Arms for its patience while I am learning my duties. I would appreciate any constructive criticism on my Letters. You may send it privately to garnet@aethelmearc.org

1.     Alric of the Mists – Resubmitted device

Per bend sinister purpure and sable, a wyvern sejant within a bordure embattled Or.

His name was registered in 10/2002.  A previous device, Per bend sinister sable and purpure, a wyvern sejant Or, was returned at the Kingdom level in July 2003 for multiple conflicts.

Some comments expressed concern regarding the posture of the wyvern, questioning whether it should be blazoned as “sejant” or “statant”. I would say that the posture is best described as “sejant” (sitting) as opposed to “statant”, which seems to be used for a creature with “all four paws on the ground” (Dictionary of Heraldy, Brockhampton Press, 1997,p. 61). I would like to request a comment on whether Alric’s device conflicts with Tristan of Longford: Azure, scaly argent, a dragon sergeant a bordure embattled Or. One comment cites a precedent regarding the difference between a wyvern statant vs. a dragon sergeant, stating that there “is a CD…for the change in posture of the primary charge” [Giles fitz Alan, 4/01, A-Middle].

3.     Chière une Clergesse – New name, New device

Argent, on a chevron cotised sable three crosses clechy argent.

This name is intended to be feminine.  The submitter accepts minor changes only and cares most about the meaning ‘member of clergy; not a priest’ and the language/culture (presumably French).

Chière is a feminine given name found in Colm Dubh’s “Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris.”

clergesse is a feminine occupational byname from the same Census.  In Colm Dubh’s article “Occupational By-Names in the 1292 Tax Roll of Paris” its meaning is given as ‘clerk: clergy below priest level.’

Colm Dubh’s transcription of names includes many examples of <feminine given name> [une] <byname>, although it is unclear as to whether or not the [une] actually appeared in the original document.

4.     Coeddu, Shire of – Resubmitted name and device

Argent, a tree blasted and eradicated sable within a laurel wreath vert and on a chief sable three mullets argent.

The submitters accept any changes and care most about the meaning ‘dark/black woods.’

A previous name, Tywyll Coetir, was returned at the Kingdom level in December 2004 for lack of documentation.  This armory was also returned at that time for lack of a registerable branch name.

Coed (meaning ‘wood’) is found in several Welsh place-names from John Garnons Williams’s article “Wales at the Time of the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267.”

s.n.  Betws-y-Coed (Betws 1284, Betus 1254): “from Welsh betws ‘prayer house’ … and Welsh y coed ‘the wood.’”

s.n. Coity (Coytif 13th-14th C) “the WELSH ty ‘house’ in the coed ‘wood.’”

s.n. Llangoed (Llangoed 13th-14th C) “Welsh llan ‘church’ coed ‘wood.’”

du (meaning ‘black’ or ‘dark’) is also found in several Welsh placenames in the same article:

s.n. Cwmdu “Welsh du ‘black’ and cwm ‘shallow valley.’”

s.n. Brecon/Aberhonddu (Aberhotheni 1191) “from Welsh aber ‘mouth’ and the river name Honddu, related to Welsh hawdd ‘pleasant, quiet’ and du ‘dark.’”

s.n. Pontardulais (Aberdulais 13th-14th C) “from Welsh pont ‘bridge’, ar ‘over’ and Dulais, a river name, derived from du ‘black’ and glais ‘stream’. The 13th century name was ‘aber ‘mouth’ of the Dulais.’”

The construction is proposed based on the examples of Coity/Coytif, where ‘wood’ comes first, and of Cwmdu and Honddu, in which the adjective comes second.

“Y Coed-Duon” appears to be a real place in Wales; we found a listing about their library at http://www.cymru.gov.uk/keypubinfolink/content/locations/blackwood-w.htm (Welsh) or http://www.wales.gov.uk/keypubinfolink/content/locations/blackwood-e.htm (English).

A petition of support is on file for the name and device.

One comment suggests that the name should be hyphenated [Coed-du] or spaced [Coed du] because “[w]hen two ‘d’s are brought together in Welsh, they produce a ‘th’ sound which changes the pronunciation.”

5.     Donecan de Maccuswel – Appeal of return of household name Clann Maccuswael

The submitter accepts minor changes only and cares most about the meaning ‘Maxwell Clan.’

In July 2004, the household name was returned with the following comments: “Conflict with the modern day Clan Maxwell. Maccuswael is a proposed spelling variant of Maxwell and the two are nearly identical in sound.”

(Pelican also made the following comments when registering Donecan’s primary name: “The submitter proposed the form Maccuswael as a variant of Maccuswel based on the statement in Black, Surnames of Scotland, that wael is the Old English word for well or pool. In this instance, Black is mistaken. According to the OED wael is an Old English word for a ridge or wale; the Old English word for pool is wæl. As there is no evidence that the "Æ" and "ae" are interchangable in Old English, this variant is not a valid spelling for this name. Black, s.n. Maxwell lists a John de Maccuswel in 1210; we have changed his name to Donecan de Maccusel in order to register it.”)

The text of Donecan’s appeal is as follows:

“I, Donecan de Maccuswel, hereby respectfully request an appeal to the decision not to register the household name of Clann Maccuswael for the following reasons:

I – According to the Rules of Submission specifically section 2 b. iv. – Household Names, the name of Clann Maccuswael and its variants (Maccuswel, Maxwell) follow the rule guidelines pertaining to toponymic clan names.

II – Precedents (2 JUL 1992 Cover Letter (June, 1992 LoAR), pg.3) of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme state that in reference to household names “Some were taken from the founder’s surnames—which in turn, might be derived originally from a patronymic (Clan MacGregor), a toponymic (Clan Kerr), or an occupation (Clan Stewart).”

III – I am assuming that the ruling on Clann Maccuswael was based on the following precedent that supercedes the above. (WVS [71][CL18 JUN 82], pp. 2-3) by Wilhelm von Schlussel which states, “Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan.”

IV – That the following names have been registered by the Wreath and Pelican Sovereign of Arms in direct violation if item III above after 18 JUN 1982:

A - Clan Stewart of Grandloch to Robert of Grandloch, NOV 90 Calontir.

B - Clan MacMurtaugh to Murtaugh the Gallowglas, FEB 96 Caid

C - Clan Baldwin to Angharad Melys, JUN 96 Atlantia

D - Clan McBride to Leif McBride, OCT 96 An Tir

E - Clan MacFergus to Anna Caitlin MacFergus, APR 97 Ansteorra

F - Clan MacFergus of Muir to “Briana Morgan of the Valley” and Gavin MacFergus, AUG 2000 Atlantia

G - Clan Cleirigh (CLEARY) to Tiernan O’Shea, APR 2002 Caid

V – That no other additional rulings have been made in support of the precedent listed in item III above that grandfathered those items in IV A-G.

VI – That for the purpose of this appeal and request, that

A –  Because those items listed in IV A-G were registered in violation of the ruling 18 JUN 82,

B – that Clann Maccuswel be permitted to be registered even though it is in violation of the 18 JUN 82 ruling, and that

C – a new ruling be made in support of the 18 JUN 82 ruling and which also grandfathers Clann Maccuswel and those items listed in IV A-G above.

His original documentation is as follows:

At electricscotland.com, a page about The Maxwells (http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/families/maxwells.htm) says:

“THE founder of the Maxwell family is said to have been a certain Maccus, the son of Undwin, a Saxon noble, who at the Norman Conquest took refuge in Scotland. He was a distinguished person in the reigns of Alexander I. and David I., and received from the latter a grant of fertile lands on the banks of the Tweed, near Kelso, which from him received the appellation of Maccuswell, and, abbreviated into Maxwell, became the designation of his descendants. He witnessed an inquest which David ordered to be made about the year 1116. A Herbert de Maccuswel, who died in 1143, made a grant of the Church of Maccuswel to the monastery of Kelso. A Sir John de Maccuswel was Sheriff of Roxburgh and Teviotdale in 1207, and held the office of Great Chamberlain from 1231 to 1233.”

(Excerpted from The Great Historic Families of Scotland, James Taylor 1887)

Another page (http://www.electricscotland.com/
webclans/m/maxwell2.html)says:

“The Maxwells are a Border clan and were active during the turbulent Border wars. The first leader was Maccus, son of Undweyn who lived in the 12th Century who appears to have given his name to Maccuswell, a pool of the Tweed near Kelso Bridge; Wael is old English for pool.”

In a publication by the Clan Maxwell Society of the USA:

“The name became Maxwell from a salmon pool on the Tweed (near Kelson Bridge) called Maccus’ Wiel.  A ‘wael’ or ‘wiel’ or ‘well’ (Saxon ‘wylle’) designated a pool or whirlpool, thus the transition from Maccusweil to Maccuswell to Maxwell can easily be rationalized.”

Black, s.n. Maxwell, says, “… and from the fishery attached thereto, called  Maccus’ Wiel (OE. wael, a pool, whirlpool), the lands obtained their name.”

Given all this data, the submitter is proposing Maccuswael as a variant of Maccuswel.

Concerning the construction of the household name:

The Rules for Submission, III.2.b.iv. Household Names:

Household names must follow the patterns of period names of organized groups of people.  Possible models include Scottish clans ( Clan Stewart ), ruling dynasties ( House of Anjou ), professional guilds ( Bakers Guild of Augsburg , Worshipful Company of Coopers ), military units ( The White Company ), and inns ( House of the White Hart ).

Elsbeth’s precedent:

[Clan Caer Lonn] The name mixes two languages, Welsh (Caer) and Gaelic (Lonn) in one phrase, violating rule III.1.a, "Linguistic Consistency." Brian should also be informed that Clans were named after personal names and nicknames, not places. Lastly we would prefer to see some evidence that "Strong" is a reasonable adjective to apply to keeps. [Brian Brock, 07/99, R-Atenveldt]

And Bruce’s precedent:

Some house names were taken from the place of origin: House of York, House of Lorraine, House of Valois. Some were taken from a personal epithet of the founder, shared by neither his father nor siblings: House Capet. Some were taken from the founders' surnames -- which, in turn, might be derived originally from a patronymic (Clan MacGregor), a toponymic (Clan Kerr), or an occupation (Clan Stewart). Guild names were straightforward descriptions of their crafts. Mercenary units might be more fanciful, and inn names most fanciful of all; but these still referred to livery or signboards -- in short, to a badge, which was a tangible thing.

House names in period don't seem to have been overly fantastic. For the most part, they come from the same linguistic well as period bynames. In particular, since a period house name was so often simply the surname, byname, or epithet of its founder, any such epithet that is acceptable in a Society personal name should be acceptable as a Society household name. This is the rule of thumb I've formulated for determining the acceptability of household names henceforth. If we would register John X, we should register House X as well. We would not permit John Starwalker, so we should not permit House Starwalker. We would register John of the Red Sickles (wincing, perhaps, but we would), so we should register House of the Red Sickles. (2 July, 1992 Cover Letter (June, 1992 LoAR), pg. 3)

Although Maccus’ Well originated as a placename, it seems to have been eventually adopted as an hereditary surname, and thus we are forwarding it as a plausible household name.

We invite commentary as to whether or not Donecan’s appeal is justified.  Specifically, can folks look into whether or not the clans named in section IV of Donecan’s appeal are active clans?

6.     George Anne – New badge

(Fieldless) A frog tergiant inverted argent.

Her name was registered in 01/2000.




7.     Keran Roslin – New badge

(Fieldless) A heart per pale azure and argent.

Her name was registered in 09/2001.




8.     Keran Roslin – New badge

Argent, a heart gules within a bordure invected azure.

Her name was registered in 09/2001.




9.     Thorin bjarnkarl – Resubmitted device

Or, a bear rampant maintaining a mace and on a chief gules three Edelweiss blossoms argent.

His name was registered in 07/2004.  At that time his device was returned for redrawing; Wreath’s comments added up to “this is unidentifiable as a bear.”  Hopefully this redrawing addresses the identifiability of the bear.




This conludes the March letter. I count 1 new name, 2 new devices, and 2 new badges. for a total of 5 payable items as well as 4 free resubmissions and 1 free appeal. A check for $50 will be forwarded to Laurel.