FAMILY COAT OF ARMS/CREST AND WHAT THEY MEAN

HARRINGTON COAT OF ARMS

I WON'T GET INTO GREAT DETAIL HERE, BUT A FEW GENERAL FACTS WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ORDER YOUR OWN:

TERRITORY:  IN THE MIDDLE AGES, THERE WERE TWO SEPTS (FAMILY GROUPS), THE LARGER ONE IN CONNACHT (OURS) DESCENDED FROM THE FIFTH CENTURY KING OF CONNACHT AND THE OTHER IN AND AROUND MUNSTER. AT AN EARLY DATE, BRANCHES SPREAD INTO MAYO, NORTH MUNSTER INTO KERRY AND DESCENDANTS ARE RECORDED IN MAYO AND BOTH DINGLE AND TRALEE.  THE MUNSTER SEPT ORIGINATED IN CORK AND AGAIN DESCENDANTS ARE SHOWN TO HAVE COME FROM THE SIXTH CENTURY KING THERE. IN PRESENT TIME, THE SURNAME HAS SOME FIVE THOUSAND BEARERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BEING PARTICULARLY WELL REPRESENTED IN CORK.

MEANING:  ORIGINALLY  O'HARRACHTAIN, GRANDSON OF ARRACHTAN AND THAT OF CINEL mBEICE WAS  O' HIONGARDAIL, GRANDSON OF IONGARDAL. THESE WERE ONCE ANGLICISED O'HARRAGHTAN AND O'HINGERDELL, BUT HARRINGTON IS FOUND AS EARLY AS THE 1570's , ADOPTED LARGELY IN IMITATION OF THE ENGLISH HARRINGTON'S WHO WERE GRANTED LAND IN IRELAND (AROUND WICKLOW) BY THE KING FOR SERVICES RENDERED (IN OTHER WORDS, MILITARY).

ANCESTORS: THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF SEMI-FAMOUS OR LOCALLY FAMOUS NAMES, BUT NO SENSE GOING INTO ALL THAT NOW. SUFFICE IT TO SAY WE, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER FAMILY HAD OUR GOOD ONES AND SOME BAD ONES, FROM SHOEMAKERS TO A FEW KNIGHTS, FAMERS AND MINERS AND SOLDIERS TO ABBOTS AND CIVIC LEADERS...INCLUDING THE ONE-TME MAYOR OF DUBLIN!  ONE NOTE, SHANE (JOHN) O'HINGERDELL SON OF A TADHG (TODD, MY BROTHER) IS ON RECORD AS ADOPTING THE ALIAS JOHN HARRINGTON AS EARLY AS 1577 AND A ROBERT (UNCLE) OF ESSEX SETTLED IN IRELAND UNDER CROMWELL. I THINK WE'LL IGNORE THAT ONE...

COAT OF ARMS: ON A BLACK FIELD, TRADITIONALLY THE HERALDIC COLOR OF WISDOM AND CONSTANCY, IS A WHITE FRET, GENERALLY AWARDED AS A MARK OF MILITARY DISTINCTION, HONOUR AND VIRTUE.

SO, A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAMILY NAME AND ANCESTORS WHEN YOU ORDER YOUR OWN COAT OF ARMS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF SOURCES ON LINE AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REFER YOU TO ONE IF INTERESTED. I GOT MINE DIRECTLY IN IRELAND SO I COULD MAKE SURE IT WAS WHAT I WANTED AND NEXT TRIP I'LL INCLUDE YOU IF THAT SUITS YOUR FANCY. EITHER WAY, YOU'LL ENJOY THE READING AND WHO KNOWS? MAYBE YOU'VE A CASTLE WAITING FOR YOU IN IRELAND!!  (I DON'T.)

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