OFFICIAL ARMS

In 1996 the author commissioned a report by the College of Heralds (CoH) in London to determine if any member of the Blanchard family appeared in the official records of the College. The report concluded that: ..as far as the official records are concerned the only Blanchards to be armigerous without doubt are the descendents of Blanchard of Marshfield co. Glos... The Arms of this family had been noted and accepted by the Heralds during their Visitation of Somerset in 1623, and appear in the College records at reference C22.354. This Visitation has been published by the Harleian Society, and the relevant entry is reproduced below in the Visitation section. The Arms are blazoned as: Gules, a chevron between a griffin's head erased or in base, and two bezants in chief. In everyday English this means that the shield is red (gules), divided by a yellow (or) chevron, with a griffin's head ripped from its body (erased) in the bottom part of the shield (in base), and with two gold coins (bezants) in the top part of the shield (in chief). No crest was noted during this Visitation.

VISITATIONS

The Visitation of Berkshire in 1664/6 is referenced at the CoH at C12.175. During this Visitation the Visitors took note at Cheveley church that under the south window of the chancel lay "a marble gravestone whereon (in a brass plate) is cut the representation of Mr. Blanchard of Priors Court in his barristers gown" with Arms untinctured but blazonable as a chevron between in chief two roundels and in base a griffin's head erased, on the chevron a mullet for difference. A mullet is a mark of difference which indicates how the bearer is descended from the founder, in this case indicating descent from a third son, or was himself the third son of his father. There is another reference at the CoH, C18.24, where the Visitors consider the pedigree of Blanchard as follows: Henry Blanchard (father's name unknown) Justice of the Peace buried at Cheveley church, Berks.; he married Maria or Mary daughter of Richard Bruninge by whom he had two sons. The entry in the Harleian Society volume names Henry's two sons as Richard and Henry, and also names two daughters, Maria and Dorothy.

ARMORIALS

By Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms Last Edition 1884,with supplement. Fourth impression of a facsimile edition, 1989, published by Heraldry Today, ISBN 090045538X

Blanchard (Wiltshire and Somerset). Gu. a chev. or, in chief two bezants in base a griffin's head erased of the second. Crest -- On the point of a sword in pale a mullet.

Blanchard (Grimsargh Hall, co. Lancaster).Gu. a chev. or, in chief two bezants in base a griffin's head erased of the second. Crest -- On a chapeau an arm enbowed clad in armour holding a battle-axe.

Blancharden (Kent). Az. a fesse nebulée and engr. betw. three lion's heads erased ar. collared gu. Crest -- A spur sa. and erased at the thigh, from which issue four ostrich feathers, two and two, counterchanged or and az.

Alfred Morant's Additions and Corrections to Burke's General Armory. Edited by Cecil R. Humphrey-Smith, and published in 1974 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., ISBN 0-8063-0583-5

A genealogical and Heraldic History of The Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland enjoying territorial possessions or high offical rank; but uninvested with heritable honours. By John Burke, Esq. In 4 Volumes, published in London, 1836

Blanchard, of Grimsargh Hall Blanchard, James esq. of Grimsargh Hall, in the county of Lancaster, b. 17th December, 1774, m. 12th July, 1804, Anne, daughter of Richard Butler, esq. of Plessington Hall, in the same shire, and has issue, John, b. 22nd September, 1807, captain of the 1st regiment Royal lancashire militia. Mr. Blanchard who s. his father 17th March, 1823, is an acting magistrate for Lancashire. Arms -- Gu. a chev. or, in chief two bezants in base a griffin's head erased of the second. Crest -- On a chapeau, an arm embowed, clad in armour, holding a battle-axe. Estates -- In Alston and Grimsargh, Lancashire, descended from the late George Blanchard; with property in Preston, Fulwood, Haighton, Whittingham, and Goosnargh, purchased by the present possessor. Estates in Plessington and Blanchard obtained by marriage. Seat -- Grimsargh hall, Lancashire

Fairburn's Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland and revised by Laurence Butters. Edited by Joseph Maclaren, and published in two volumes in London, 1860

BOOKPLATES

Ex Libris or Bookplates are almost as old as printed books. Their origins are closely related, since the ex libris were born out of the need to identify the book's ownership. As a mark of possession, it begun to be manuscript or the owner's hand painted armorial. But after the invention of the printing press they became a small printed label, pasted into the volume, bearing its owner's name and a sign of personal identification, usually the person's Coat-of-Arms.

Bookplates collected by Sir A.W. Franks were bequeathed to the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, London. A catalogue was issued in 1903-4. This is the prime reference for 36,000 pre-1900 British and American bookplates. The following were taken from that catalogue, and looked up in the collection, (unfortunately, no dates were given):

Harold Blanchard

Richard Blanshard

Richard Hardy Blanshard

Notes:

Harold Blanchard only used a crest for his bookplate, and interestingly used a scimitar instead of the usual battleaxe.

Richard Blanchard's bookplate show his arms impaled with those of Hyde. He uses the motto, Virtute et Numine (By Bravery and Devine Aid)

Richard Hardy Blanshard's bookplate includes a mullet, which indicates a third son, or descent from a third son. He uses the motto, Perge ut Vincas (Onwards to Victory).

Wilkinson Blanshard

William Blanshard

Notes:

Wilkinson Blanshard's bookplate gives his profession, MD, and his residence, St. Jame's Place. He uses no crest.

William Blanshard's bookplate also uses the griffon as a crest, but mounted on a helmet (not shown). He too uses the motto, Perge ut Vincas (Onwards to Victory).

MISCELLANEOUS

P17 BLACKETT OR BLANCHARD Ch'ien Lung c. 1745 The arms are of Blackett of Somerset, or Blanchard of Somerset and Wiltshire. Although these two families used the same arms, the crest on the piece is of a griffin's head, erased argent. As the Blackett family used the crest, a hawk's head erased proper, the arms are more likely to be of the Blanchard family.

In the Domesday Book, for Lincolnshire, we are told that Blancard (forename not given), who is described as 'Roger of Poitou's man', was granted land in Laughton, Audleby, and Nettleton. After the Domesday Book, the next reference we have in Lincolnshire is a Sixle Priory Charter of 1177, in which Richard Blaunchard of Nettleton and his wife, Agnes, give land to the Priory. From this point forward there are many Blanchard/Blaunchard references in the Laughton and Nettleton areas of Lincolnshire.. The Blanchard family of Laughton, Audleby, Nettleton, and Clixby were very prosperous, judging by the amount of land they were able to donate to various new Abbeys, Monasteries, Convents and Priories in Lincolnshire, (see Deeds and Charters in the publications of the Lincolnshire Record Society). However, before 1280, William Blaunchard of Laughton died, the last in the male line of the owners of the main estates in Lincolnshire. His sister and heir, Matilda (sometimes referred to as Maud) widow of John de Allazun, was then wife of Ralph de Carrum. "John de Allazun, or Dallison, her son, succeeded to Laughton, Nettleton and Clixby, and was the ancestor of that family greatly advanced by this match", ('Notes on the Visitation of Lincolnshire'). In these notes, the author speculates that the arms of the Dallinsons were originally those of the Blanchards, Gules 3 crescents or. These arms can still be seen in Laughton church on the sarcophagus of William Dallinson, and on a funeral hatchment there. This is interesting, as several Blanchard families in France used the 3 crescents on their Coats of Arms (see the French Heraldry section). If any document signed and sealed by a Blanchard, prior to 1280, bears 3 crescents on the seal, then this hypothesis could well be proven.