Thompson Armorial
My Irish grant of armorial bearings
This website provides information about the armorial bearings granted to Neil Christian Thompson by the Chief Herald of Ireland Colette O'Flaherty in July 2018. There is information on the process for applying for arms and what each part of my grant symbolises. A lot of thought and effort went into creating it.
Applying for a grant of arms
You must be an Irish Citizen or have a connection to Ireland to apply for a grant of arms from the Chief Herald of Ireland. https://www.nli.ie/en/applying-for-a-grant-of-arms.aspx The Office of the Chief Herald is part of the Genealogy and Heraldry division of the National Library of Ireland in Dublin.
I acquired Irish Citizenship in 2017, through descent from my Irish grandmother. So, I already had all the necessary paperwork to prove my Irish ancestry. I could also have applied to the College of Arms in London for a grant of arms, but an Irish grant appealed to me more.
As far as I am aware, I am the first member of my family to be armigerous (i.e. having a coat of arms), so I applied for a grant of new arms. If someone in the family had previously received an Irish grant of arms, I could have applied for a differenced version of that.
The Genealogical Office at the National Library in Dublin checked my claim to Irish ancestry.
Once my application had been approved, my case was referred to one of the Herald of Arms, Micheál Ó Comáin. He was responsible for developing the design of the arms and sorting out suitable wording for the accompanying Letters Patent. Part of his task was to ensure that the new arms were unique and sufficiently different from anything previously granted by the office. They have granted arms since 1552. As the design on my shield includes a Chinese dragon, that task was fairly straightforward, it's not something that's common in Irish heraldry!
I had to provide details of my work, family, interests and Irish ancestors and their occupations so that the Herald could come up with possible designs. I told him about my connection to Taiwan and my long career in the railway industry and my Irish ancestors who worked on the Dublin to Wexford in the days of steam. He went away and came up with the design which is described below.
The first draft was hand painted by Philip Mackey from County Donegal who is primarily a portrait artist https://newirishart.com/irish-arts/philip-mackey-art. The Irish Heraldry Office don't produce digital heraldry, I was told there would be an uproar if the artists were asked to put aside their paint brushes and work with computers. The final version on the vellum document, and the calligraphy work, was done by a second artist, Billy Lutton from Lisburn near Belfast https://www.billyluttoncalligrapher.co.uk/.
The Herald of Arms came up with the wording for the Letters Patent, this includes the blazon, a formal description of the arms in heraldic terms so that any artist in the future can recreate the arms just from the written description. I requested that the Letters Patent name my ancestors as far back as my earliest known Irish ancestor, Matthew Murnane, my 3 x great-grandfather. He was a Coachman from Limerick. So, the Letters Patent are a genealogical record of six generations as well as an heraldic one. Having done Ancestry DNA testing I am confident that my Irish heritage does indeed originate in Limerick, I have more than a dozen DNA matches who confirm the link back to a Murnane family who lived in Counties Limerick and Clare in Munster in the south west of Ireland.
During the application process I was asked if I had any academic qualifications I wanted included on the Letters Patent, I asked them to include my Bachelor of Science degree B.Sc(Hons) from De Montfort University.
I made the initial approach to the heraldry office at the end of January 2018 and received the grant in July 2018, so the process took about six months. The arms are granted and signed by the Chief Herald of Ireland, Colette O'Flaherty and have the official seal of state at the bottom.
What will I do with my grant of arms? Probably not a great deal! The are no such thing as 'family coat of arms' as arms are granted to individuals not families. However my arms were granted to me and my descendants. The wording on the grant says the arms are granted to me 'and to my descendants forever' as long as they make their due and proper differences according to the Laws of Arms and practice of the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland'. So, the red Chinese dragon and the golden double cross could be around for many centuries to come, who knows?
The Heraldic Artist painted two versions of the arms, the grant document for me and a second copy to be retained in the Register of Arms at the National Library in Dublin in perpetuity. It's nice to know I will have left a small record of myself in an official record somewhere. So many generations of my family have come and gone over the centuries and left no trace of themselves.
The two photos below are from arms presentation ceremonies. They show the people who were involved in my own grant of arms. As I am in the UK I didn't get a presentation ceremony! The Chief Herald of Ireland Colette O'Flaherty is in both photos, as is Micheál Ó Comáin, the Herald of Arms, with the beard and holding the cane.
The left photo is from a presentation at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin in February 2019. Billy Lutton is to the left of the Dean, he was the Heraldic Artist who did the artwork and calligraphy on my final grant document. The right photo is of a similar ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin January 2020. Philip Mackey who did the artwork for the first draft of my grant is standing between the two clergymen.
First draft
This is the first draft which arrived by post in April 2018. It doesn't have the helmet and mantling and yellow paint was used rather than metallic gold. The Herald said that everyone in the office was stunned by the shield and that the dragon was a triumph. The dragon's foot was a bit more problematic and would need a bit of re-work. The first draft also came with the proposed wording for the Letters Patent.
My grant of arms
The armorial bearings consist of the shield, the crest and the motto. There could be an heraldic badge too, although my grant doesn't officially have one of those. The design rationale for my arms is described below.
My arms are recorded in the Register of Arms in Volume Aa, Folio 91. There are 100 folios in each volume. Once the volume is complete it will be digitised and made available on the National Library of Ireland's website in the catalogue section. The Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland grants between 12 and 14 coats of arms a year.
The calligraphy on my grant is in English only, my choice. It could also have been in Irish Gaelic but I chose not to, as far as I know, my Irish ancestors only spoke English.
Currently the most recent volume available to view online is Volume Z, Volume Aa was started in 2009 and was completed in about 2020 but unfortunately the Covid pandemic has slowed down the digitisation process but hopefully the volume will be able to view soon. I will add a link once it has been done.
The Shield
Blazon: Per fess arched and enhanced Gules and Or in chief a cross double parted and fretted of the second and in base a Chinese dragon globular of the first.
Digital rendition of the original granted shield by the heraldic artist David Burkart of the US. He has done an excellent job of recreating the painting in digital form.
The shield is the most important part of the arms. The shield was traditionally used for protection on the battlefield, both from arrows and sword blows.
The design on the shield was for identification, so a simple clear design was better for ease of recognition in the melee and confusion of the fighting. The fewer charges and colours (tinctures) the better for ease of identification.
My shield has two charges, the red Chinese dragon and the double cross, so it should be fairly distinctive. The line of division of the shield has been ‘enhanced’ i.e. curved up the shield to create extra space for the dragon. The Herald of Arms asked me which metal colour I preferred to go with the Gules (red), Argent (white) or Or (gold).
The Chinese dragon represents my work and family association with the Far East, the fact that I was born in the Chinese year of the dragon and that my official Chinese name chosen for me by my wife in 2007, contains the word dragon. The Chinese dragon has four toes on each foot. A dragon with five toes was reserved for the Emperor. The Herald of Arms had to coin a new term to represent the posture of the dragon. He used the term ‘globular’ to means its compact rounded shape. It is the first time that the term has been used to refer to a dragon in Irish heraldry.
The parallel lines of the double cross look like railway tracks and represent my work in the railway industry since 1992. I have been a member of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (MCIRO) since its inception in 2000 and was promoted to Fellow (FCIRO) in April 2021. I was elected as a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (CMILT) in 2021. I was the Supervisor in the rail control centre at the Channel Tunnel on the day of its inauguration by the Heads of State in 1994. The railway symbolism is also recognition of the dozen or so British and Irish ancestors who have worked on the railways in the past 150 years as signalmen, platelayers, steam train drivers, hammer men, oilers etc. The double cross is described as parted and fretted meaning the two crosses are interwoven.
All in all I think the two charges complement each other well.
The Crest
Blazon: A Dragon's foot Gules armed Gold grasping an oak tree eradicated Proper acorned Or.
In days gone by a Knight wore a personal crest like a cock's comb on top of their helmet. The crest was also used in jousting tournaments. The goal was to knock the crest off the opponent's helmet with the lance or sword. It was held in place on top of the helmet by the torse.
My crest is an uprooted oak tree with golden acorns held aloft by a dragon’s claw. A lot of crests are a hand holding something, for example a sword or a clutch of arrows. My crest is oriented so that the roots are front on, so the opponent would see the roots of the tree, looking from the side they would see the tree itself.
The dragon claw provides continuity from the shield. It has four toes, the same as on the shield. The nails are golden. The digital version below by Brian Abshier shows a simplified oak tree with the essentials of an oak, rather than a full canopy of leaves.
The oak tree represents my environmental science degree, my love of nature and my conservation work over many years for the National Trust whose logo is oak and acorns.
The tilting helm or helmet on my grant is that of a Commoner, an Esquire or gentleman. I have no noble or aristocratic pretentions.
Mantling it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the elements, and, secondarily, to decrease the effects of sword-blows against the helmet in battle, from which it is usually shown tattered or cut to shreds. The mantling on my arms is Gules doubled Argent (red on the outside, silver as the lining). All Irish grants have this coloured mantling. Normally the colours of the mantling would follow those of the shield, in my case red and gold.
Initially there was a misunderstanding between me and the Herald of Arms in Dublin regarding how the leaves would be painted on the oak tree in the crest. The first draft didn't show any inidividual leaves, just a mass of green. Our wires got crossed and the Heraldic Artist in Lisburn was originally instructed to paint the tree without any leaves at all.
I didn't like the treeless oak when the final vellum document arrived through the post. I had to return it so that Billy Lutton could add the leaves. He did a good job modifying the painting.
The first version of the crest without leaves looked very different - perhaps an oak in mid-winter?
Illuminated letter T
Blazon: A Coronet, the rim set with estoiles of five points alternating with scallop shells, the band set with bottlenose dolphins naiant all Or lined Azure
The original illuminated letter T from the grant document.
A digital version by David Burkart
The illuminated letter T at the top of the grant is a piece of work in itself. I wanted to acknowledge the Murnane family mentioned on my grant document. My father was always proud of his mother’s surname. Having done a bit of research into the name Murnane, I discovered that one of the theories as to its origin is that it is derived from Manannan, the name in Irish Gaelic for the sea deity in Celtic mythology. I also read about bottlenose dolphins being regular visitors to Killiney Bay, where the Murnanes used to live. They are known locally as Dalkey Dolphins.
Danilo Carlos Martins and I came up with the sea-themed crown badge in 2017 before I applied for the Irish grant. A crown suitable to be worn by Manannan the sea god. I showed the design to the Herald of Arms. He and the heraldic artist came up with a way of including it on the grant document. It came as a pleasant surprise when I received the final document through the post.
Versions by Brian Abshier, clever use of colours to create a 3D effect.
The motto
You don't have to have a motto but it is traditional to have one, and it is part of the grant. Adapt or Perish is part of a longer quote by HG Wells the Victorian science fiction writer famous for War of the Worlds. The longer quote is "Adapt or Perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative". It's a quote that is sometimes used in connection with evolution and natural selection.
Heraldic mottos are usually short and snappy and go in a scroll under the shield. They stem from the battle cries in times gone by. I can’t imagine an army shouting 'Adapt or Perish' before going in to battle!
The motto is a reminder to move with the times, adapt to changes in life, so as not to get left behind. Mottos can be in any language, historically they were in Latin and people still choose to have one in Latin, but I never studied it and wouldn’t be able to pronounce a motto in that language. I did think about something in French or even Irish Gaelic but couldn’t find anything suitable. Out of curiosity I asked the Herald of Arms what the motto would be in Irish and he sent me: Téigh in oiriúint nó éag I have no idea how to pronounce it properly!
HG Wells lived for a time in Woking and is commemorated in Woking, so his quote seemed quite appropriate. War of the Worlds was set near by on Horsell Common.
Official seal
The Letters Patent are duly signed by the Chief Herald of Ireland who has affixed their official seal to the bottom of the vellum document.
Flag
A simple flag based on the shield.
Haiku
Haiku is a short form of poetry originally from Japan consisting of three lines that do not rhyme. The three lines have 5, 7 and 5 syllables. I have attempted to write the blazon of my shield in a Haiku style.
Railway tracks crossing,
Red Dragon's talons push out,
In its golden space.
Blason en français
Écu: Au champ coupé-vouté; au premier, de gueules à la croix bastonnée d'or; au deuxième, au dragon oriental globulaire l'un à l'autre.
Cimier: Une griffe de dragon de gueules armée d'or empoignant un chêne arraché au naturel englanté d'or.
Devise: Adapt or Perish (S’adapter ou périr)
Badge: A la pelle d'or devant un arbre parti au premier d'un demi chêne au naturel englanté d'or et du second d'un demi prunier en fleur au naturel le tout terrassé au naturel.
Achievement and badge by Lucas Arne Hofmann
Grant document
The grant document below, it comes in a leather presentation folder. The document is 45.5 cm x 45.5 cm (18 inches x 18 inches), as can be seen from the second photo it's pretty large! I'll get round to framing it one day.
Versions by other artists
A version by Allen Crawford an American artist who mainly displays his portfolio of artwork on instagram. This version has a bullet helm and minimal mantling. Probably my favourite rendition so far, with nice vibrant colours. The motto scroll is at the bottom, he draws a lot of Scottish arms with the motto above the crest, he did that for me originally but I asked him to change it.
Two lovely versions of the arms by Loggail Heikki J. Halkosaari from Finland who displays their artwork on the Discord server. The first one is hand drawn, the second using vector graphics which makes it easier to recreate/ Good use of bright colours and a well shaped dragon which fills the available space.
Loggail also created a standard (flag) for me which brings together the shield (on the hoist - next to the flagpole) and the badge, crest and motto (on the fly). We eventually settled on gold in the three compartments of the fly as using red didn't look right, there would have been a clash with the red of the claw on the crest. The motto stands out well on the two black bends.
In days gone by the standard would have been a rallying point on the battlefield with soldiers able to see the shield, crest and badge of their house or family.
Simplified version for the Discord Roll of Arms also by Loggail. My username on the Discord Server is Taiwaneil. I love what he has done on the helmet, the small slits arranged like the double cross.
Each heraldic artist has their own style. They can draw the arms in different ways as long as they respect the blazon i.e. the description of the arms in heraldic terms. This digital version of my arms below is by Quentin Peacock of Digital Heraldry, a well respected English heraldic artist who has done work for the College of Arms in London.
I particularly like the choice of colours, the deep red and rich dark gold.
Versions of the shield and the crest by the talented Brazilian artist Danilo Martins.
A version by Lucas Arne Hofmann yet another young artist on the Discord server. He has brought together the best elements from the other achievements I have had done, so this is one of my favourites. He designed a distinctive flag with four red streamers which is based on the shield, which would certainly be recognisable. I designed the motto roll.
An 'Armoji' for use on the Discord Server! Based on the emoji symbols from social media.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/460949499670560798/1043944587640721619/a_taiwaneil1-02.png
Registrations
The National Library of Ireland - https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000544675
The Discord Roll of Arms GreiiN:277 https://roll-of-arms.com/wiki/GreiiN:277
The Armorial Register http://www.armorial-register.com/arms-ie/thompson-nc-arms.html
Heraldry of the World https://heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Neil_Thompson
The Chinese Armorial http://www.chinese-armorial.com/Thompson_Neil/Thompson_Neil.html
The International Society of Commoner's Heraldry (Facebook Group) - certificate below.
Other
The International Association of Amateur Heralds - member certificate below.
