Today's entry comes from our member, Professor Gillian Black of the Department of Law at Edinburgh University, and the giver of the HSS St Andrew's Day Lecture in 2019

An Ordinary of Scottish Arms

 Every so often I manage to add to my small collection of heraldry books. My first purchase, back in 2004 or so, was Simple Heraldry Cheerfully Illustrated – still typically the clearest starting point for heraldry questions – and since then I’ve added various essential and interesting titles. But one gap on my bookshelf was, until recently, An Ordinary of Scottish Arms, by James Balfour Paul, published by Wm Green & Sons in 1893.

After looking online (AbeBooks.co.uk) I tracked down a first edition at Barter Books in Alnwick, which was duly posted out, arriving in early July, as a Covid19 lockdown treat! When it arrived, I was very pleased to find evidence of its previous owners, or two of them at least. The first owner who left a mark was one James Montgomery Byng Wright, whose arms are illustrated in his book plate, pasted on the inside front cover:

The arms displayed in the 1^st and 4^th quarters (with tinctures and metals omitted: on a fess between three battleaxes erect in pale as many escallops) are also embossed on the title page, with the helm and motto above. It is difficult to get a good picture, but here it is: 

However, there was further evidence of this owner. When I turned to the entry for “On a fess between…”, to try to track down these arms (which I was aware might post-date the book itself), I discovered at p101 four very neat entries added in the margin: the blazons for Quentin Montgomery Wright (1934); Byng Montgomery Wright, VD (1927); Richard Herve Giraud Wright, London (1936); and William Norman Stewart Wright, Glasgow (1936). The entries are in ink, but the first draft in pencil is still visible underneath, making it slightly difficult to make out in the image:

These blazons give the metals and tinctures, which are the same for all four: Azure, on a fess between three battleaxes erect in pale argent, as many escallops gules. Differences between the four arms are achieved by way of bordures or engrailing the fess.

But James Montgomery Byng Wright was not the only owner of this book: he passed it on to a friend. The inscription on the first page reads: “John Cunningham Watt, from James MB Wright, with all good wishes. 1945.”

There is no further evidence of Mr Watt himself, but on turning a page half way through the book, I was surprised to discover a handwritten letter from JMB Wright to JC Watt, from Lochgilphead, dated 17 May 1945.

The letter reads:

My dear John,

 As I have two copies of this work I hope you will accept the enclosed as I think you may find something of interest in it. Clark of Camphill and its “cadet” Clark of Oakshawside are to be found on page 95 (col 1). You will notice that the arms in the west window of Paisley Abbey are correctly drawn but are wrong as to colour. Those on the Town Hall (being uncoloured) are correct. I have not seen a copy of the original grant of arms, of 1869, but was told officially that it covered the descendants of John Clark (father of the above James and Stewart) only. It is a pity they don’t cover the descendants of James Clark (born 1747), the original Thread Manufacturer.

 Hope you will soon be able to take a run up to Ford when you and Maisie get your Basic Ration.

 All good wishes, Yours aye

 Jimmy.

_____

Editor's note: here are the aforementioned grants from the Lyon Register of 1869:

Firstly James Clark of Camphill:

Secondly, the very next entry in the Register, James's younger brother, Stuart Clark of Oakshawside: