A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

220 OF THE SUB-ORDINARIES.
de Molina, a Spanish herald, speaking in his First Book of the Nobles of Andalusia,
who carry in their arms torteauxes, upon the account, says he, that one of the Kings
of Spain, being to give battle to the Moors, convened his principal captains and
commanders to eat ; telling them, that so many cakes as they did eat, each of
them would kill as many Moors : And, after a memorable victory, considering how
many cakes each had ate, some five, eight, or twelve, took as many
torteauxes in
their arms, or added them to their ancient bearings ; and this is the reason why so
many torteauxes are carried in the arms of the nobles of Andalusia. So that they
are taken by the French, Italians, Spaniards, English, and us, for cakes of bread.
Fig. 29.
There are two ancient families in Scotland who contend for chiefship, but
a che-
carry different arms ; BLAIR of Balthyock, in the shire of Perth, argent,
veron sable, between three torteauxes gules ; crest, a dove, with her wings expand-
ed, proper : motto, Virtute tutus. Lyon Register.
BLAIR of that Ilk, in the shire of Ayr, the other tamily, of whom before the
;
of these two families is said to have been ad-
controversy about the precedency
justed by King James VI. ordering that the eldest man representer of these two
families should precede- the younger : These two families are to be found in
records in the reign of Alexander III. and have several families descended of
them, whose blazons I have before mentioned, and shall here add as in our records.
Those descended of Balthyock are GEORGE BLAIR of Lethendy, descended of
Balthyock, the same with Balthyock, with a martlet for difference ; crest, a
garb, proper : motto, Nee temere, nee timide. Lyon Register.
JOHN BLAIR of Balmill, a younger son of Balthyock, the same as his father,
within a bordure sable ; crest, a Roman head ; with the motto, Fades quails mens
talis.
ALEXANDER BLAIR, residenter in France, descended of a second son of Bal-
thyock, for his difference, makes the cheveron waved. Ibid.
LAURENCE BLAIR of Overdurdy, descended of Balthayock, for his difference, invects
the cheveron.
Captain ANDREW BLAIR of Inchyra, descended of BALTHYOCK, embattles the
cheveron for his difference. Ibid.
The name of COURTNEY in England, or, three torteauxes : The first of this
name came to England with Henry II. and afterwards his descendant, HUGH
COURTNEY, was made Earl of DEVON by Edward III. in right of his mother, who
was a daughter of William Rivers Earl of Devon. Morgan's Heraldry.
The arms of the EPISCOPAL SEE of WORCESTER, argent, ten torteauxes, 4, 3, 2
and i, as in Dale Pursuivant's Catalogue of Nobility. The name of BABINGTON
in England carries the same arms, with a label of three points azure ; and it is
pretty remarkable, says Kent, in his Dictionary of Arms, that Dr GERVASE
BABINGTON, being made Bishop of Worcester, by Queen Elizabeth, his paternal
coat was the same with the See, excepting only the label : Here the English,
when they say torteaux, do not add gules, it supposing always to be red.
The German Jacob Imhoff will have the torteaux to represent the yolk of an
egg in arms, for he latins them vitellos, in his Blazons of the Nobility of Great
Britain, as in these of EDMOND LANGLEY Duke of YORK, fifth son 01 Edward III.
from whom issued the English kings, of the House of YORK, who carried France
and England, quarterly, as his father ; and for a filial difference, added a label of
three points argent, each charged with three torteauxes, which Imhoff calls vitellos,
yolks of eggs. And the same in the arms of GREY Earl of KENT, and others,
thus
"
; Insignia familias Graia?, e qua Comites Canciie & Stanfordiae prodiere,
"
scuto senis transversis fasciolis ex argento & cyano exarato, tribus vitellis in
" cephalo distincto constant," i. e. barry of six, argent and azure, in chief three
torteauxes, and so of the rest of the nobility of England who carry torteauxes.
When torteauxes are of the colour azure, we name them, as the French, torteaux
azure, as in the arms of ARMSTRONG of Mangerton, argent, three torteauxes
azure ; Balfour's Manuscript : But the English, upon some singularity of
their own, call them hurts, without naming the colour, that is, marks of some