Home › Decorations Taken from Other Sources. - Hatchments › Decorations Taken from Other Sources. - Hatchments: Crown

Decorations Taken from Other Sources. - Hatchments: Crown

The Pelham Buckle, that I mentioned as being the sign of a certain inn, or tavern, in the neighborhood of the estates of that family, has suggested to some one well versed in heraldic lore to explain how it happens that so many of the little English village hostleries are known by such singular names, as the Golden Lion, or the Red, White, or Black Lion; the Rose and Crown, Cross Keys, Three Elms, Walnut Tree, Three Cats, etc. He tells us that in early days the town residences of the nobility and the great prelates were called inns, and on their fronts the family arms were displayed. After a while these large "inns" were given up to the uses of regular hotels. The coats-of-arms ornamenting the mansions were retained, but called signs; and sometimes the inns were ordinary houses kept by old servants of certain noble families; often they were small taverns built in the neighborhood of or upon the estates of certain well known families, and the devices of their escutcheons were used. The shields themselves, and the tinctures, or colors, were slowly dropped, until only the name remained, and often when three pelicans were perhaps the original device, the sign dropped all but one.