A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS. 333
lands of Bcdrule, and the name of Turnbull. Edward Howes, in his History of
England, page 231, mentions this man in the minority of King David Bruce, at
the battle of Halidonhill : His words are, " A certain stout champion of great
" stature, who, for a tact by him done, was called Turnbull, advanced before the
" Scots army, and a great mastive dog with him, and challenged any of the English
" army to fight with him a combat; one Sir Robert Venal, a Norfolk man, by
" the King of England's leave, took him up, fought, and killed him, and his dog
" too." This gentleman's son, it seems, Sir James Turnbull, with Sir John Hali-
burton, were killed near Nisbet-Muir in the Merse, in an engagement witli the
English, in anno 1355. For which see Abercromby's History, vol. 2. page 105.
I have seen the armorial seal of TI-RNBULL of Minto, appended to a charter of
his, 1455, {penes Comitem tie Home) which had only one bull's head, and that cabossed.
Ot late these of this name multiply the heads to three.
JOHN Tt'K.NBt'LL of Stickcathran, descended of the family of Bedrule, carries
argent, three bulls' heads erased sable, armed vert, within a bordure indented of
the second ; crest, a bull's head erased : motto, Audaci favet Jot tuna. New Re-
gister.
JOHN TURNBULL of Know, descended of the family of Minto, carries argent, an
car of rye rert, between three bulls' heads erased sable, armed of the second;
crest, a bull's head cabossed sable, armed vert : motto, Courage. L. R.
The name of BULLEN, in England, carries argent,
a chevcron azure between
three bulls' heads cabossed sable. These arms were carried by Thomas Bullen,
gnmclson of Galfredus Bullen, Lord Mayor of London, in anno 1458, father of
Anna Bullen, Marchioness of Pembroke, who was Q^ueen to Henry VIII. of Eng-
land, 1533, to whom she bare Queen Elizabeth. Thomas Bullen was dignified
with the title of Earl of Wiltshire, and Viscount of Rochford, who, with his son
;;nd daughter the Queen, w'ere all beheaded the ipth of May 1536.
The name of STARK, with us, has its rise from just such another action as that
of TurnbulPs, but later ; by saving King James IV. from a bull in the forest
of Cumbernauld, by one of the name of Muirhead, who, for his strength, was
called Stark ; and, to show his descent from Muirhead, he carries the armorial
figures of Muirhead, with a bull's head, viz. azure, a cheveron between three
acorns in chief or, for Muirhead, and a bull's head erased in base of the second.
The ^ame is carried by John Stark of Killermont ; and, for crest, a bull's head
erased argent, distilling drops of blood, proper : motto, Fortionnn fortia facta.
N. R.
The name of BULL,, with us, carries or, three bulls' heads cabossed gules. The
first of this name in Scotland, was one William Bullock, an Englishman, who
was Governor of Coupar in the reign of Edward III. and was persuaded by
Sir William Douglas to give up that place; which he not only did, but with
the whole garrison came over to the Bruce's interest, and was very assistant in tak-
ing the castle of Edinburgh from the English, as our historians say.
The canton of UK.I, in Switzerland, which signifies a wild bull, carries or, the
head of a bull cabossed with, a ring through its nose gules, as Favin.
As for cows, the Canton of BERNE, in Switzerland, carries for its ensign or,
t\vo cows gules, in "pale, horned, collared, belled, and unguled azure ; as the
French say, D'or a deux vacbes de gueules accornees, accolees, clarinees, fc? onglees
1
il'fiz;tf. Orensfine, a writer, in his book Jou d Armories, says, these arms do represent
their large and fertile pastures; others say that they are relative to the name
of the ancient Lords of that country, called Vacceens.
The name of CABEZ DE VACCA in Spain, carries cows' heads relative to the name.
The first of this family, says Favin, in his Theatre of Honour, was one Martin,
a great master of Cows in Spain, who conducted the Christian army that was marching
through the mountains against the Moors, by whose good conduct the Christians
fell upon them, and routed them entirely in the plains of Tolosa ; for which
good service, Alphonso King of Leon nobilitated Martin, and gave him the name
of Cnbez tie I 'acca : and, for arms, cheque gules and or, within a bordure a-zure,
charged with six cows' heads argent; which Favin blazons, Escbequete de gueules
13 d'or, dc sept pifcis (here he numbers the panes, of the cheque as I observed be-
fore) a la bordure d"aziir, charges de six ti'tes de caches ff argent.
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