Heritage Of Scotland

Did You know?

"In the days when flags and banners were important to identify opposing elements in battle, King William I "the Lion" who lived from 1143 to 1214, adopted a heraldic device showing a rampant lion, the king of beasts, rearing up with three paws stretched out. This became the royal coat of arms in Scotland. The lion was also incorporated into the Great Seal of Scotland which was placed on all official documents.

When the royal coat of arms was being designed, the lion rampant was obviously incorprated, with the Latin motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" meaning "No one attacks me with impunity". In Scots, that became "Wha daur meddle wi' me?"

The lion rampant flag strictly speaking belongs solely to the monarch - though a Royal Warrant has been issued allowing it to be displayed as a token of loyalty to the crown.

At one time, using the royal coat of arms unlawfully, could have resulted in a stiff fine - or worse! "

source: http://bit.ly/1gIHasl
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The History of Wales

4th February.

Owen Tudor (Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur) a prominent member of the Tudor dynasty and grandfather of Henry VII was executed at Hereford on 4th February 1461.

Owen Tudor's father Maredudd ap Tudor (Meredith) had along with his two brothers Rhys and Gwilym been stalwarts of Owain Glyndwr's uprising of 1400 and when the uprising ebbed away Maredudd lost most of his land to the English Crown. He saw his chance to improve his position in society by moving to London and changing his son's name from Owain ap Maredydd to Owen Tudor. This is one of the first instances where a surname is used by a Welshman and had he taken his father's name (rather than his grandfather) the royal English Dynasty that ruled England for the next hundred years would have been called The Meredith Dynasty. After Maredudd died, Owen became the ward of his father's second cousin, Lord Rhys and at the age of seven he was sent to the English court of Henry IV as page to the King's Steward.

1415 - Owen fought for the English at Agincourt and afterwards was granted "English rights" and permitted to use Welsh arms in England. (King Henry IV had deprived Welshmen of many civil rights.)

1422 - Henry V died and confusion swept through England, the infant Henry VI was now King of England and Henry V's widow Catherine of Valois was kept under watch as whoever she wed would become step-father to the king

1431 - Catherine met and by some accounts, married Owen. The origin of Catherine and Owen's romance is obscure, but later chroniclers attributed it to drunkenness (at a ball, Owen was so drunk that he stumbled and fell into the queen's lap) or voyeurism (the queen saw Owen bathing in a stream and was attracted to him; she secretly traded places with her maid and arranged to meet him in disguise. They had four children including Edmund and Jasper

1442 - Henry VI began to take an interest in the upbringing of his step brothers Edmund and Jasper and they were brought to London.

1452 - Edmund was created earl of Richmond and Jasper was created earl of Pembroke and Henry VI recognized them as his brothers

1457 - Henry Tudor (later to become Henry VII) was born at Pembroke Castle the only child of Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort. Edmund had died 3 months earlier as a a result of defending Carmarthen Castle from the Yorkists

1460 - Henry VI was deposed by Edward IV and imprisoned

1461 - At the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, Owen Tudor led the Lancastrian forces, who were defeated by the Yorkists and he was subsequently beheaded at Hereford.

Merovingians: The Once, The Present, & Future kings

The Iconic Gryphon...the Normans...and, Scotland:

(Pictured: Arms 'Ancient Lauder)

***Note: The following text has been redacted from an article entitled, 'Lauder Coats Of Arms And Crests'...to view article in its entirety, see attached link.***

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/lauder4.htm

"According to all the sources I have consulted, the ancient family of Lauder bore arms long before any established heraldic authority existed in Scotland.

***It is probable that, as Normans, they brought their arms – a griffin – with them when first entering Scotland in 1056. From about the year 1000, Normans were decorating their shields, especially with wavy crosses and with beasts. Alexander Nisbet, writing in his famous Systems of Heraldry in 1722, seems to think that the Lauders may originally have been Flemish or German and suggests this is where they acquired the griffin from, as in the 11th century only the Germans were known to be using this mythical