A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES. 379
mily was Matthew Kynninmond, Archdean of St Andrews, who became Bishop
of Aberdeen, anno 1172. The family continued till of late that it came to an
heiress, Grissel Kynninmond, married to Sir William Murray of Melgum, descended
of a younger son of Philiphaugh.
The name of HARCASS, sable, a cheveron between three flower-de-luces argent.
Font's MS.
STEVENSON of Hermisheils, argent, a cheveron betwixt three flower-de-luces gules,
on a chief of the last as many mullets or. Ibid.
ALEXANDER STEVENSON of Chester, whose father was a brother of Hermisheils,
carries argent, on n cheveron between three flower-de-luces azure, a cross-moline
of the first, and on a chief gules, three mullets or; crest, a rose tree bearing roses,
proper: motto, Virtus ubique. N. R.
Sir ARCHIBALD STEVENSON, Doctor of Medicine, argent, a cheveron between three
flower-de-luces azure, on a chief of the last three mullets of the first; crest, a
dexter hand issuing out of a cloud, holding a laurel garland, all proper: moito,
Qftum nun so/t/m. L. R.
The name of GULLAN, gules, a cheveron argent, between three flower-de-luces or.
Font's MS.
KELLY of that Ilk, or, a saltier sable, cantoned with four flower-de-luces azure.
Ibid.
Sir ANDREW GILMOUR, Advocate, argent, on a cheveron azure, between three trefoils
vert, as many flower-de-luces or, recorded hrthe New Register 1668.
GLASS of that Ilk, argent, a flower-de-luce between three mullets, within a bordure
gules. Font's MS.
The same is carried by ALEXANDER GLASS of Sauchy ; crest, a mermaid holding
a looking-glass and a comb in her hand: motto, Luctor non mergor; recorded in
the New Register 1668.
JOHN DON of Spittle, Sheriff-Clerk of Stirling, descended of the family of Don
of Teth, bears vert, on a fesse betwixt two crescents in chief, and a flower-de-luce
in base argent, three masclcs sable, a dexter hand holding a pen, proper: motto,
Suum cuique.
OF CINQUEFOILS, QUATR.EFOILS, *AND TREFOILS.
FLOWERS and plants are so called in armories from the number of their leaves.
The cinquefoil has rive leaves, and all other flowers that have but five leaves may
be so called when their specific names are not known ; yet the English, as Gerard
Leigh and others say, though the proper
names of flowers of five leaves be not
known, they should have different names in blazon, from the nine armorial tinctures
of which they are coloured : Fo,r example, if the cinquefoil be of the tincture
or, it should be called ranuncula; if of argent, jessamine; if gules, the rose; if
azure , pirvincle ; if sable, ducal; if vert, Jive-leave grass; \i purpure, bugloss; if
tenny, puppie; and if sanguine, the stock-jelly-flower. lthey be of any other colour
besides these, and of the furrs, they are then to be blazoned cinquefoils. The
French, whom we ordinarily follow, call them quintefeuilles, and we cinqutfcils, of
whatsoever tincture they be, and are represented pierced or voided in the centre,
to distinguish them from these that have specific names.
%yintefeuillt, says Menestrier, est un fleur de cinque feuilles, perce ou ouverte en
cceur. He, in his Rise of Arms, tells us, that cinquefoils were anciently used by
th'j-e who went to war, as distinguishing badges, because it was latined Vmca pervhicn
; which name seems to be lucky, having some resemblance of victory. Others
from the Greek call them Pentafylos.
Cinquefoils are frequent with us in the arms of ancient and honourable families,
as these borne by the name of: ERASER, azure, three cinquefoils argent, which are
ordinarily called with us frases or frasicrs, i. e. strawberry flowers, and so are
'-ing to the name of Eraser.
The first progenitor of the name (as
in Sir George Mackenzie's Manuscript) was
one Pierre a Frenchman, who came to Scotland in the reign of King Achaius,
when the famous league was made with France. He and his posterity became.