Huish Arms

THE HUISH ARMS II

Robin Madge's painting and his description of the Huish arms are published here for the first time through the kindness of John Branchflower who has preserved them and also typed up Robin's handwritten notes. The photograph of the arms over the fireplace in the Huish Almshouses, Taunton is by Charrett and Clarke, Photographers, of Halse and North Petherton, Somerset.

Arms of Richard Huish,
R. Madge del. Quarterly 1 and 4, argent, on a bend sable three luces of the first, 2 and 3, argent, between two barrulets gules five lozenges sable, differenced for the second son.
For the crest on a wreath of the colours an elephant's head couped proper, tusked and with an ancient crown or.
Arms in Huish Almshouses
Charrett and Clarke

The following additional notes were provided by Robin Madge, who taught art at the school from the mid-50's to the 80's:

"Re the Arms of Richard Huish.
"Notes on the blazon. (the description, in words, of the coat of arms in heraldic terms)

luces are pike fish (latin: Lucius lucius)

the first heralds are exact, but perhaps lazy people and so never repeat a colour by name if they have done so once - so 'first' means the first colour mentioned - in this case argent!!

barrulets are diminutives of the bar which, in turn, is narrower than a fess.

five lozenges the number should be specified and exact as the exact number could be the difference between this and another coat of arms though in this case that would be unlikely.

differenced for the
second son There are nine marks of cadency all of which denote which son is referred to. The eldest son uses his father's coat of arms differenced with a label, ususally argent, in the chief of the shield; the second son's shield is differenced with a crescent usually or, and so on.
The fact that Richard Huish's coat of arms comes down to us still differenced means that his elder brother outlived him, otherwise on his brother's death he would have thrown away the differencing and assumed his father's arms - unless he had nephews by his elder brother!

elephant's head
couped proper couped means 'cut at the neck' and proper means 'in the natural colours'. If any part of the animal is coloured differently note has to be made of it - hence 'tusked or'.

"Tom Hunt, I think, once produced a potted history of Richard Huish which was to be issued to every boy on entry to the school along with a description of the arms. In that he referred to Richard Huish's connection with the East India Company and this accounts for the elephant's head which I believe is part of that Company's arms.
"It would be interesting if there is any record remaining of Tom's work in the College. I remember us getting together once or twice on the project - probably in the latter days of Lt. Col. Peel-Corbin's headmastership.
"Mentioning Col. Peel-Corbin reminds me that the motto in his day, because of his love of horse-racing, was irreverently referred to as 'what is better than a dead cert'!!"
(note signed by Robin Madge: February 10th 1992 - JB)
© Robin Madge & Richard Huish College, Taunton 1992 and 1996
[We were always told it was 'What is better than a sure hope' but a variation on the preceding 'translation' sometimes heard was 'What is better than a sure quid' - BP]

The Huish arms III - more heraldry from David Ward
'The Huish Pedigree I' - Joy L. Hughes Jacoby
'The Huish Pedigree II' - Frank Huish

Old Huishers' page

.....end, created/revised 26th January 1998

luces	are pike fish (latin: Lucius lucius)
the first	heralds are exact, but perhaps lazy people and so never repeat a colour by name if they have done so once - so 'first' means the first colour mentioned - in this case argent!!
barrulets	are diminutives of the bar which, in turn, is narrower than a fess.
five lozenges	the number should be specified and exact as the exact number could be the difference between this and another coat of arms though in this case that would be unlikely.
differenced for the second son	There are nine marks of cadency all of which denote which son is referred to. The eldest son uses his father's coat of arms differenced with a label, ususally argent, in the chief of the shield; the second son's shield is differenced with a crescent usually or, and so on. The fact that Richard Huish's coat of arms comes down to us still differenced means that his elder brother outlived him, otherwise on his brother's death he would have thrown away the differencing and assumed his father's arms - unless he had nephews by his elder brother!
elephant's head couped proper	couped means 'cut at the neck' and proper means 'in the natural colours'. If any part of the animal is coloured differently note has to be made of it - hence 'tusked or'.