A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF VEGETABLES.
Mr JAMES CHEAP of Rossie, Advocate, representer of the family
of CHEAP of
Mawhill, beside Kinross, argent, three ears of wheat slipped vert;
bunded vert: motto, Ditat virtus. N. R.
crest, a garb or,
The surname of PROVAN, argent, on a cheveron vert, between three ears of
wheat stalked and blacled of the last, as many
mullets or. P. MS.
ROBERT COLLISON, Gentleman in King Charles Il.'s Horse-Guards, descended
of COLLISON of Auchloumes, argent, on a fesse azure, between three roses in chief,
and as many pease -cods in base, a sword bar-ways of the first, hiked and pommelled
or; crest, a falcon's head erased, proper: motto, Hoc virtutis opus. N. R.
Many families in England, and other countries, have ears of corn for armorial
figures ; and sucli have also adorned the collars of high knighthood, such as that
order of knights institute by FRANCIS Duke of BRETAGNE, called the ORDER- of the
ERMINE, or EARS of CORN, 1450. The collar of which Order was composed of
gold, wrought after the forms of ears of corn, interlaced together, whereat hung
the little beast ermine. It is said by some he instituted this order for the love he
had to agriculture, and to encourage his
subjects to improve their lands that way.
Others, as Favin, say, that the ears of com were to represent the old arms of Bretagne,
which were, azure, three sheaves of corn, which have been continued by the
Lords of Ponthievre, and quartered with ermine, the new arms of Bretagne.
Ears of corn, when they are bound up in sheaves, are called garbs, and when
their bindings are of another tincture, they are said to be banded of such.
Garb, orjarb, is a French word, for a bundle of any kind of grain, called by the
Latins, fascis frumentarius, and by some, manipulus; as Sylvester Petra Sancta, in
his Blazon of these Arms, quartered in the achievements of Poland and Swedland,
to show the fertility of their countries, says thus
"
: Manipulus tritici aureus supra
"
balteum argenteum situs, ia parmula muricata." And Imhoff, in his Blazons,
for sheaves and garbs, has the word mergetes; as in that of Sheffield Earl of Mulgruve,
now Duke of Buckingham and Normandy, argent, a cheveron between
three garbs gules, as relative to the name Sheffield.
The surname of CUMING carry relative to their name, azure, three garbs of Cuming
or. There were many great and eminent families of this name of old with us ;
the first of them, says Hector Boece, in his History, was one John Cuming, who, for
his singular valour, and other good qualities, got several lands from King David I.
and in his grandchildren's reigns, Malcolm and William, John's son, Richard
Cuming, is frequently to be met with in those kings' charters ; as also, his son William
Cuming, who was created Earl of Buchan, and made Justiciar of Scotland by
King William. The family of Cuming became very numerous and powerful; so
that the above-named historian numbers in the reign of Alexander III. three earls
of the name, and one lord, viz. Monteith, Athol, Buchan, earls, and Cuming Lord of
Strathbogie, with thirty landed knights ; of whom, Andrew Winton and others
give their genealogy and arms, as before, with some small alterations, for their respective
differences : But most of all these families were for their submitting to the English,
extirpate out of Scotland
and taking part with the Baliols against the
Bruces. There are some families of the name yet extant with us, whose arms I
meet with in our books of blazons ; as,
CUMING of Altyre, the principal family of that name now, carries the plain coat
of Cuming, as above, azure, three garbs or.
CUMING of Brunthill, descended of Altyre, azure, a flower-de-luce between three
garbs or ; crest, a hand holding a sickle, proper motto, Hinc garbce nostree.
N. R.
And there, CUMING of Auchry, another cadet of Altyre, carries as Altyre, with a
buckle in the centre for his difference; crest, a sword and dagger saltier-ways,
proper: motto, Courage.
Sir ALEXANDER CUMING of Coulter, Knight-Barenet, azure, three garbs within a
bordure or; crest, a garb or: motto, Courage. L. R.
There are other surnames that carry garbs with us.
The name of WHITEFORD, argent, a bend between two cottises sable, accompanied
with two garbs gules. I have mentioned (page 90.) this family, upon ac-
count of their bend cottised, and now again of the garbs which accompanies it.
The first of this family was Walter de Wbiteford, who, for his good services done