ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1991 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1991 ************************************ 10 Apr 2000 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if the English feminine name was used between 1400 and 1600, and you asked our help choosing a surname to go with it. You also asked about your heraldic design "Gyronny of eight vert and sable, in dexter chief a cinquefoil argent." Here's what we've found. We have found examples of , in various spellings, used in England from the 13th century to the 16th. We didn't actually find a 15th century example, but we're confident the name was used then, too. The name was recorded in 16th century records as [1, 2]: Rosemunda 1549 Rosamund 1563 Rosamond 1563 Any of these would be a fine choice for your period. By your period, your surname would most likely have been inherited rather than literally descriptive; i.e., you and your father would have been known by the same surname, not different ones. We have several lists of late-period English surnames on the web. One includes 15th century data: Julian Goodwyn, "Brass Enscription Index" (WWW: SCA, Inc., 1997). http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/brasses The others are based on 16th century data. You can find links to them in the late-period English section of the Medieval Names Archive: http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/english.shtml#1450to1600 Another good source for late-period surnames is reference [2]. The simplicity of your proposed arms is very much in keeping with period armory, but the design itself is quite unlike the coats that we've seen from your period. Gyronny of two colors (i.e. dark tinctures) was vanishingly rare in period heraldry [3]. Placing a charge in canton on a gyronny field is also atypical; we know of no similar example in either medieval heraldry. In period English heraldry, gyronny fields were usually uncharged. On top of these style problems, the SCA College of Arms would consider your design to be too similar to the protected badge of the House of York "A rose argent" [7]. If you'd like suggestions for registerable designs more typical of your culture, we'll be happy to help. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Walraven van Nijmegen, Zenobia Naphtali, Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, Talan Gwynek, Rouland Carre, Adelaide de Beaumont, and Margaret Makafee. For the Academy, Aryanhwy merch Catmael and Arval Benicoeur 10 Apr 2000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References & Notes: [1] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) [URL:http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/reaney/]. [2] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), p. 654 s.n. Roseaman. [3] We have found only three coats of arms before modern times that have gyronny of two colors: * Mathison (1639) Gyronny sable and gules a lion rampant Or [4]; * Guild of Coopers (1509) Gyronny sable and gules on a chevron between three annulets Or a royne between two broad axes azure, and on a chief vert three lilies argent [5]; and * Bassingborgh (15th C) Gyronny of 12 parts vert and gules [6]. These cases are not quite analogous to your design: Red has better contrast with both black and green than black has with green. Because of the paucity of evidence, the SCA College of Arms will not register arms containing low-contrast gyronny fields. To be registered, gyronny fields must be composed of a color and a metal; gyronny of two colors, like your design, would be automatically returned. [4] Nisbet, Alexander, _A System of Heraldry_ (Edinburgh: T.A. Constable, 1984), v.1, p.198. [5] Bromley, John, and Heather Child, _The Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London_ (New York: Frederick Warne & Co. Inc., 1960). [6] Oliver, Stefan, _An Introduction to Heraldry_ (New York: Gallery Books, 1987, ISBN 0-8317-4433-2), p.19. [7] The SCA College of Arms does not grant any difference between a rose and a cinquefoil because the two charges were used interchangeably at some times and places in our period; nor does it count any difference for the field or the placement of the charge on the field when comparing a submission with a fieldless badge like the York rose.