A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.
KER of Samuelston, an old family with us, now extinct, carrk-:l 'agent, an
horned or. Font's Manuscript.
unicorn >
The other considerable families of the name of KER carry unicorns' heads ; of
which before.
When the lion, unicorn, and other animals are carried looking to the left side
of the shield, they are then said to be contourne, as in the bearing of GALENSTEI
in Stina ; gules, an unicorn contourne, argent ; unguled, horned, and crowned or ;
as Sylvester Petra Sancta, " Argenteus monoceros versus laevam incitatur, cum
"
ungulis, cornu, coronaque inauratis in punicea parmula." Many families in
Germany carry the unicorn in their arms, as our author, who gives several exam-
to which 1 refer the curious.
ples ;
When the unicorn is represented passant, and lifting up his fore right foot, he is
then said to be tripping,
as in the arms of MUSTERTON in England, gules, an unicorn
tripping, argent, armed or. Plate XI. fig. 10.
Sylvester Petra Sancta takes notice of this blazon in his book, and "
says, Ar-
"
genteus monoceros gradiens, in muricata parmula; cum auro in ungulis &
" cornu, est Mustertoniorum in Anglia."
The seal of arms of the town of JEDBURGH in Teviotdale, azure, an unicorn
tripping argent ; unguled, maned, and horned, or. When the unicorn stands on
his four feet, with his head down and his horn straight out, he is then said to be in
defence; and in this posture he may be said to \>z feeding, as in the arms of CRISPI
in Rome, given us by Sylvester Petra Sancta, azure, on a green mount in base,
an unicorn feeding, argent; and in chief a comet or.
They are carried also running, and sometimes more than two,
FARINGDON in England, sable, three unicorns in pale, courant
Art. Her.
as in the arms of
argent, armed or.
When sitting, he is said to be se-iant, and by the Latins assidens, as in the bear-
ing of MARLING in England, argent, an unicorn Her.
seiant, sable, armed or. Art.
The unicorn seiant is so placed on the tops of several market-crosses in Scotland,
as on that of Edinburgh, holding the banner of the kingdom, as fig. n.
Unicorns' heads, couped or erased, are frequent in armories, as by the ancient
name of PRESTON with us, assumed first from the barony of Preston in the shire of
Edinburgh. There were several barons of this name who were summoned to Berwick
when the controversy ran between the Bruce and the Baliol, as in Prynne's
Collections of the Scots Barons, Nicol de Preston^ William de Preston, teneates le<
Roi (hi Counte de Edinb. p. 656.
In the reign of King Robert the Bruce, Edward Preston is witness in a charter
of King Robert I. confirming a deed of Robert Blackburn to John Renton of Billie,
which I have seen. John Preston, miles, is witness in a charter of King David
the Bruce. Our historians give us an account of Sir Laurence Preston, who, with
William Keith and Robert Gordon, defeated the English under the command of
General Talbot, and took him prisoner. In the reign of that King there was a
family of the name, designed of Gourton, which lands were afterwards called
Preston, and afterwards the family was designed of that lik, and sometimes of
Craigmillar, which was the principal seat of the family near Edinburgh. On the
inner-gate of the castle of Craigmillar are their arms to be seen, cut on an old
stone, within a shield couche, three unicorns' heads couped, (in paintings, argent,
three unicorns' heads couped sable) supported by two lions ; and for crest, an
unicorn's head issuing out of a coronet in place of a wreath : motto, Prasto ut
Pfastem. Below on the stone is the year of God 1427.
PRESTON Lord DINGWALL carried the same arms with Craigmillar ; with this
motto, Pour bleu fort ; so illuminated in Workman's Heraldry.
Sir ROBERT PRESTON of that Ilk, argent, three unicorn's heads erased sable;
crest, an angel, proper : motto, Picesto ut prtestem. New Register.
PRESTON of Whitehill, sometime designed of Cousland, descended of Andrew
Preston, a second son of Sir Simon Preston of Craigmillar, carried the above arms
of Preston of Craigrnillar, with a brotherly difference. I have seen the seal of
arms of Mr John Preston, a younger son of Whitehill, appended to a charter of his,
of a tenement of land in Fisherrow, to Elizabeth Preston, of the date 1546, in
4 H