AMERICAN PEERAGE® Assistance with Petitions for Grants & Matriculations of Arms in England & Scotland A “Family Coat of Arms” or “Family Crest” are terms used incorrectly today by many Americans. There is no such thing – a Coat of Arms is actually owned by one person at a time, is officially recognized as that person’s property, and can and should be re-registered when it is transferred to that person’s heir (matriculation). Many Americans with Colonial or pre-Revolutionary War era ancestry are potentially able to apply for this honor in England and Scotland, and a formal process applies. Various documents need to be located and reviewed, and then put into a formal document, which is then submitted to either the College of Arms (England) or the Court of Lord Lyon (Scotland). Then, the documents are reviewed in England or Scotland, and if an ancestor or another family member owned a Coat of Arms, a similar or derived design may be created and its use approved. Then a permanent record of the approved design and its owner’s pedigree is created at the College or the Court, and an heraldic artist paints the design, which may include a shield, a crest, a motto, and supporters. The Arms are then owned by the Petitioner, who would then be termed ‘armigerous”, meaning a person who has Arms. Various artists can then produce signet rings, custom stationery, flags and the like which display the design, and that design is the unique property of its Owner. SCALE OF FEES: The cost of obtaining a Grant of Arms includes both the work that must be done to draft the Petition, and the fees that will be charged by the granting Authority. For most Americans, the Grant will require two steps: a Grant of Arms to an Ancestor who was a British Crown Subject, and a Matriculation of that Ancestor's Arms to the Client. The Petition must include the evidence that connects the Client back to the Ancestor. The cost will vary depending on the number of generations to be documented and the resulting lenght of the Petition. FEES ARE INCURRED FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS: • Review Client's documents • Construct First Draft of the Petition, for Client’s review • Conduct research, as required • Obtain additional documents, as required • Telephone consultations • Construct Final Draft of the Petition, for Client’s signature TO OBTAIN A QUOTE BASED ON YOUR REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT MISS BUSH AT 473 MELANIE COURT, CHAPEL HILL, NC 27514 USA, Tel (910) 315-2412 SCOTTISH ARMS: Miss Bush has assisted members of the Society of Scottish Armigers. Scottish roots? See you at The Gathering!. AMERICAN PEERAGE ® is a Registered Service Mark of Cornelia W. Bush, CG, FSA Scot, and pertains to assistance with Petitions for Grants and Matriculations of Arms. All rights reserved. Website © Cornelia W. Bush, All Rights Reserved, 2002-2008.