A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS. 307
And to show their nature, Mr JOHN CORSER, writer in Edinburgh, carries the
same ; and for crest, a pegasus ; with the motto, Recto cursu.
The name or" MARSH in England, gules, a horse-head couped argent. (Art. Her.)
Dale Pursuivant gives for arms to EDWARD JONES, sometime Bishop or Asaph,
sable, three horse-heads erased argent.
When a horse's neck, shoulders, and fore feet are seen, then he is blazoned a
dfmi-horse, as before of the lion, and to be issuant or naissant^
I may here mention the sngittary, half man and half horse, drawing
a bow to
let fly an arrow ; which some say King Stephen of England carried of gold, in a
red field, for his arms ; but others, with more reason, tell us, he carried, for arms,
as his predecessors Kings of England, and assumed this sagittary only for his de-
vice, because his entry to the throne was when the sun was then in the celestial
sign Sagittarius.
The Ass, (plim Marti Victima cadebat) is the emblem of patience. Hopingius
df Jure Insignium, cap. 9. p. 610. " Asinus, hominis sapientis, laboriosi, frugalis,
" omnisque boni, etiam in insigriium areis hieroglyphicum est, ut in Scutis Ger-
" manorum majiifestum est ;" his posture is always passant, and from this beast
and the horse cometh the mule.
The name of
sable.
ASK.EW in England, argent^ a fesse between three asses
passant*
The name of HACKWELL in England, or, an ass's head erased, sable. (Art. Her.)
The name of MOYLE there, as relative to the name, gules, a mule passant,
argent.
Or THE BOAR AND HIS PARTS IN ARMORIES.
THE Boar, say the naturalists and heralds, is a champion among other wild beasts,
and encounters his enemy with a noble courage; and, in order to battle, he is said
to whet and sharp his tusks ; Guillim says the same ; he betokeneth a man of a
bold spirit, skilful and politic in warlike feats, called in Latin, aper, ab asperitate;
by the French, sanglier ; his posture in armories, is passant and rampant ; when
his tusks are of a different tincture from his body, they say then, he is armed of
such a tincture ; the French say defendu ; and when his eyes are sparkling and
red, allume ; Monsieur Baron in his UArt Heraldique, says, " Sanglier est passant
" ou courant, quelquefois rampant, pour exprimer 1'email de ses broches, on dit
"
defendu, et celui de ses yeux, allume."
The ancient surname of BAIRD carried gules, a boar passant, or, as
the name. In the reign of Alexander III. Robert, son of Waldeve
relative to
de Biggar,
grants a charter to Richard Baird of Meikle and Little-Kyp. (Dalrymple's Col-
lections, p. 39 7.^) There is a charter of King Robert I. (Haddington's Collections)
of the barony ot Cambusnethan to Robert Baird. Baird of Carnwath, with other
three or four barons of that name, being convicted of a conspiracy against King
Robert the Bruce, in the Parliament held at Perth, were forfeited and put to
death therefore.
BAIRD of Auchmedden, in the shire of Banff, now the principal family of the
name, who has been, for several generations, appointed, by our Kings, principal
Sheriffs of that shire, till of late, carries gules, a boar passant, or; crest, a griffin's
head erased, proper : motto, Dominus fecit ; so matriculated by Sir John Baird,
Knight, in our New Register ; and sometimes for motto, Vi \3 virtute,
of Achievements.
as in Plate
Sir JOHN BAIRD of Newbyth, descended of a younger son of Auchmedden, gules,
a sanglier passant, or ; and for difference, a canton ermine, charged with a sword
pale-ways, proper ; creat, a boar's head erased or : motto, Vi y virtute. See
Plate of Achievements.
His brother, Sir ROBERT BAIRD of Saughtonhall, being both Knights Baronets,
carries the same, with a crescent surmounting the sword for his difference ; ibid,
And as baronets, they may carry the badge of that dignity, either by way of canton
or escutcheon, as others of that degree..