Heraldic Primer: Part 2

Last time we talked about colors and common furs that were used on heraldic arms.  This time I want to talk about common field divisions: ordinaries, and sub-ordinaries.  These help build the structure of the arms and give you definition to them as well as defining places that the charges can go.

 

Before we can get into that, let’s go through the parts of the shield/arms/device.  This is important because you may not see a pictorial representation of the arms; someday you may only get the blazon, or written description.  If you are not comfortable with the basic terms you won’t be able to decipher the heraldic language.  First, all directions are giving from the shield bearers perspective.  Right, or dexter, is the bearer’s right side not the observers, just like in stage directions.  Left is sinister, the top of the shield is chief, and the bottom is base.  The background of the shield is the field and anything placed on this field is called a charge.

 

 

Field divisions, or the way you can divide the background of the device, are created from ordinaries.  They are large geometric charges that cover the field from one side to the other.  They were not required to be used and you will see many arms that have no field divisions on them.  Common ordinaries are shown below. 

 

 

 

Smaller, or diminutive, geometrical charges are sub-ordinaries.  There is some argument as to whether or not these should have an ordinary category.  Some people feel they should be lumped in with charges, but since they can be used to make patterns on the field I like to separate them out.  Common sub-ordinaries are shown below.

 

Heraldry would be boring if it was only a bunch of straight lines wouldn’t it?  Each of these ordinaries and sub-ordinaries may have various line treatments to add variations to the arms.  Common line treatments you may see are shown below.

 

Now, what about color?  In the last post I talked about metals and non-metals and how similar colors cannot be used on top of each other.  This is when you can really begin to understand the need for contrast in color and appreciate the rules.  An or field with an argent pale would not be visible from across the field let alone look right.  However, an or field with an azure pale would be visible and contrast nicely.  Think about sports teams.  What colors and charges stick out in your mind from community, high school, college, or professional teams?  Do they have a nice contrast?  Are the charges visible?  This is modern day heraldry!  Heralds wanted the same type of gut reaction from people when arms were designed.  Yes, they need to have significance to the bearer, but they also need to make a statement to those who see them. 

 

Next time:  animal charges

Images of the parts of the field and ordinaries are from Heraldry Clipart
Main image from wikimedia

Memories and phone calls

Ruth Eleanor Brennan Combs
mid 1940s

This past week my mind has repeatedly gone back to my Grandmother Combs.  Things I have done, seen, said, and listened to have reminded me over and over again of her.  We lived with my grandmother until I was in Kindergarten.  When we moved away I would spend summers home with her and my other grandmother as well as many school vacations. 

I wanted to take dance classes when I was little.  Across the street from my dad’s store was a dance studio.  I watched the other little girls in their tights and leotards going to class and wish I could be one of them.  Once, dad and I sat in on a class.  I remember grandma teaching me basic ballet positions in her kitchen after that.  It amazed me that she knew so much and I practiced in her kitchen holding on to the kitchen counter as my bar.   Those lessons have stayed with me.  In college I started to take belly dance lessons and for 5 years.  Recently I have taken it back up, and grandma’s stretches, feet positions, and walking techniques are still there.

So, I called my dad.  He has a better memory of my childhood that I do after all.  He is always full of stories, and I was not disappointed.  He told me about how his mom taught square dance for the local 4-H and girl scouts.  She also enrolled his sister in dance classes at the YMCA and then made him be her practice partner.  Dad learned tap and ballet at home with grandma watching and correcting them both.
 
The memories and the stories didn’t end there, for either of us.  It was a wonderful conversation about all the odd things that I did growing up, how everyone acted, antics my dad got in, coaching sports, and so much more. 

My first sports picture
taken 1981

Here are some of the highlights:

•  Dad telling me about karate drills when he was learning in Hawaii
• Him coaching women’s softball teams
• Me learning to play soccer, but not ever being able to pitch or hit a ball with a bat
• His PE classes in school teaching dance to reluctant teenagers.
• His memories of playing collegiate soccer
• Me walking with a book on my head learning proper posture so grandma would buy me my first pair of pumps

We tend to talk for hours on the phone, and this time was no different.  Dad is in his 70s and living several thousand miles away now with mom.  I will take all the long phone calls that I can.

Local Meeting Sucess

Last night I attended a local genealogical society meeting.  Awesome huh?  I had tried to begin attending last year; however their meeting nights conflicted with another activity I was required to attend.  It was very exciting to be able to attend something in the local area with people who enjoy genealogy.

I found out about it yesterday morning from a new genealogy friend who lives in the same housing complex I do.  We met at the Fairfax County Genealogical Societies Fall Fair nearly a month ago.  I was asking questions about becoming a member when the nice lady I was talking to, Ole Myrtle herself, exclaimed that there was another person in the room from the same town I was.  We chatted briefly and talk about riding up to meetings in Fairfax together.  Need to do that, but the timing didn’t work out for this month.  Just one more reason I need to find reliable child care… again.

It was great to get a phone call yesterday morning from her letting me know that 20 minutes from my house there was going to be a meeting of the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society.  After I fed my boys dinner we jumped into the car and headed out to the meeting at the Salem Church Library in Fredericksburg, VA.  My youngest played with LEGOS throughout the meeting, but my oldest sat in rapt attention during the guest speaker’s presentation.

The guest for the evening was Ray Maki and he spoke about finding female ancestors.  I picked up some good tips, heard wonderful family stories, learned of some great new resources for New York, and enjoyed watching my oldest son with great big eyes learn about documenting your research.  He particularly thought the wills were the “most awesome” thing he had ever seen.

They are a nice group of people, I even saw a woman from the chapter of the DAR I am joining, and I think I will enjoy being with them.  My helium hand stayed down, for now, and I did not leave the meeting with a job.  I did however leave the meeting with an invitation to speak in the future on a couple subjects.  Gulp…
 

photo credit: de sata1 via photopin cc

Entries for FTF Blogger Contest due FRIDAY!

Hey guys!  One more little plug for the Family Tree Firsts Blogger position…. If you know anyone who is a newbie genealogist that would love an opportunity at amazing products and resources have them go check out the Family Tree Magazine/University contest for my replacement!

Entries are due THIS FRIDAY November 16th!!!

It has been the most amazing experience and I have learned so much by being their blogger.  In fact, I can safely say, that without their help I would not be as far along today.  The last year has been an amazing ride and I am so glad many of you have decided to stick it out with me to see where I went next. 

Have questions?  Let me know and I will do my best to give you my perspective.  Also, go check out my predecessors posts.  Nancy Shively was the first FTF Blogger, and she had a very different style than mine.  Don’t let style, words, and ideas, stand in your way!  Get out there and tell someone you know about this amazing opportunity.

photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via photopin cc

Week 46 of Abundant Genealogy

Week 46: Large Genealogy Vendors. Which big genealogy vendor is your favorite one to see at conferences? What does this vendor offer the genealogy community? Why do you like visiting this vendor in the exhibit hall?

Once again, my lack of attendance at large conferences will be seen in this post.  That being said, I would like to comment on a couple of companies I saw at the NARA Genealogy Fair this past spring.  The only booth there selling items was the NARA shop, but I still learned a lot from the other groups, institutions, and organizations that were in attendance.  It was wonderful to interact with people from varied backgrounds; they made the day more fun and exciting. 

FamilySearch and Ancestry both had large booths.  They also had terminals set-up walking people through online searches at their sites and giving guidance on how to use them.  Ancestry also had a table set-up to discuss their DNA testing that was getting ready to go to BETA.  I, of course, talked their ear off with questions on that one.

Maybe if my plans to attend a conference next year pan out I will be able to tell you more about what vendors out there are really cool.

Let me know who you think is a good vendor so I can go and check them out too!

Next FTF Article is up: My genes

My continuing fascination with genetic genealogy was explored a bit more in this week’s post at Family Tree Firsts.  Check out the post here.

 

You may remember a few weeks back I posted about receiving my AncestryDNA test in the mail.  It was different that the FTDNA test that my dad was shipped.  For FTDNA you do a cheek swab, with Ancestry you spit in a vial.  I think, personally, I prefer the check swab.  Less chance for spit to go everywhere, and as the mother of 2 boys I have enough of that in my life already.

 

It was interesting to read their ethnicity break down on me.  Yes, I am a white girl.  Just in case there was no doubt in anyone’s mind.  There is no way to deny it as they tell me I am from… Europe.  As a visual person I liked that they gave you a graph for the percentage breakdown as well as a highlighted map of where you come from; more visuals for every learning type.  Uh-oh, the education classes are coming through.

 

If you are not familiar with the history, culture, or the basics for the regions Ancestry says you come from there is a summary page on each ethnicity that you can read.  I didn’t learn anything ground breaking because growing up with a history teacher for a father, loving museums, traveling, and reading odd books I know a little bit about a lot of subjects. 

 

Most exciting for me is connecting with cousins through their matching system.  So far a half a dozen people have contacted me after I emailed nearly twenty about our families.  Who knows that I can learn, what we can learn, by having this contact.  Of course I am secretly hoping for story and picture sharing.  I love having the images to place in the tree, making the entry a person and not just a bunch of names and dates. 

 

Now there is another test on the way.  This time it is for my husband and I am just as excited about it!  This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!

*Map image from the Library of Congress
*Ethnicity Breakdown is a screenshot from my results on Ancestry.com
 

Honoring the unknown: who was Claudius Herbert Chamberlin

I am an army brat; proud of my mama in combat boots, and proud of all my family who have served this country through military service.  When Veteran’s day comes around each year I wear my poppy and reflect on the stories that I have been told about my family and their service.  This year I found myself wondering about a mysterious man in my mother-in-law’s picture file.  A man that we know nothing about but is quite dashing in his army uniform.

This photograph was given to me last December with the request to find out all I can on him.  I am sorry to say that I have failed to find out much, and I do not know where else to look or who to turn to for help.  On the back of this postcard is the following information: 

Claudius Herbert Chamberlin

Company F. 20^th Infantry.
Ft. Douglas
Utah
Age 20

The theory is he may be the son of her grandfather’s older brother, Frank Herbert Chamberlin.  Unfortunately I have no record of Frank from the last time I found him in up-state New York in 1878, at about 15 years old, until his death in San Antonio, Texas in 1934.  Could Claudius be his son?  Yes, but I have no proof one way or the other.

From the style of the uniform I have deduced that he served in the army between the Spanish American War and World War I.  I did a bit of research on the 20^th Infantry division at Ft. Douglas.  I know they patrolled the Mexico and US border at El Paso, Texas in 1914 because of the Mexican War.  They ceased to exist in May 1917 when they were reorganized as the 42^nd Infantry Regiment.  I even read an interesting article about life at the Fort.  However, still no answers on my mysterious solider. 

One day I will have the answers.  Even if it means I have to spend an hour every time I go to NARA looking through the rolls from Fort Douglas on that darn microfilm machine.  I have made it through the first roll and I think there are about 15 to go.