Laurel April 15, 2002, Letter of Pends and Discussion

Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
15910 Val Verde Drive
Houston TX, 77083-4921
713-918-2947
herald@sca.org
For the February 2002 meetings, printed 15 April 2002
To all the College of Arms and to all others to whom this missive comes from François Laurel, Zenobia Wreath, and Mari Pelican, health and good friendship.
This letter contains the issues raised in the February 2002 LoAR for CoA discussion. The text in this letter is copied verbatim from that LoAR; it is provided here for convenience.
A REQUEST, PLEASE: It would help our processing somewhat if you comment on Laurel issues and pends using the LoPaD as if it were an LoI (instead of including Laurel comments without a header or number). If it's not inconvenient, please use the date on the LoPaD as an "LoI date", use the numbers provided on each item, and give the name as spelled on the LoPaD, exactly as you would for a new LoI (and without reference to the item's original kingdom, original date, or original number). For this letter, your comments might look like
	Laurel LoPaD of April 15, 2002
	1. Atholl, Earl of. [Your knowledgable and well-reasoned commentary goes here.]
	5. Muirghen Ruadh. [More commentary here.]
or however you usually format your commentary. If you don't provide the header, item number, and exact name, we just have to look them up and insert or change them.
As with an April LoI, these issues are currently scheduled for the Laurel meetings in August 2002. Original commentary must be in the College's hands no later than June 30, 2002. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than July 24, 2002.
1. Atholl, Earl of. Non-SCA arms. Paly Or and sable.
In this month's submission for Aethelwine Aethelredson (Calontir), a commenter raised the question of whether we should protect the non-SCA arms of the Earl of Atholl.
Ordinarily, such a request during the commentary cycle would cause a pend of the associated SCA armory and would be discussed there rather than in the Cover Letter. In this case, the armory in question was returned for a different reason, so there was no need for a pend. Laurel procedure in the past has been to rule on all requests for protection, whether they are raised in commentary pertinent to a submission in progress or whether they are raised in Letters of Intent to Protect. Therefore, this "orphaned" issue is presented for your consideration here in the Cover Letter.
Note that such requests will only be copied to the College in a Cover Letter when the requests (for protection or unprotection of non-SCA armory) were raised in commentary pertinent to submissions which were then returned for other reasons. Requests which are not immediately germane to a submission at hand should only be raised on a Letter of Intent to Protect. Any commenter may write a Letter of Intent to Protect, but it must be a separate letter from the Letter of Comment, and (like all Letters of Intent) it must be sent to all members of the College who are on the mailing list.
Here follows the text from Electrum's November 26, 2001, LoC where he requested protection of the arms of the Earl of Atholl:
In addition, consider Paly Or and sable, which the territorial arms of the Duchy of Atholl, quartered by the Duke of Atholl, in addition to his pronomial arms (Azure three mullets argent..., for Murray), and his other quarterings (Stanley, Stewart, Isle of Man). Atholl was an earldom held by the Stewart family until it passed to the Murrays through marriage in the early 1600's, and was raised as a Murray earldom in 1629, a marquessate in 1676 and a duchy in 1703. Finally, it is worth noting that these arms in the form Or three palets sable appear as the arms of the Earl of Athole in the Armorial de Gelre.
I would offer the arms of Atholl, paly Or and sable as worthy of protection as important non-SCA arms, given their antiquity in Scottish heraldry, and the fact that these arms have been held and used by two of the more important families of the Kingdom of Scots, the Stewarts, Earls of Atholl, and the Murrays, Dukes, Marquesses, and Earls of Atholl. Of the factors noted in the Laurel rulings on the Scribe Amarius LoItP, in the 28 September 1999 LoAR, examples included the Cumyn arms, azure three garbs Or, with notes that it is found as a quartering in other families. This applies here, as it is or has been used undifferenced in period (Gelre), quartered by Stewart, and quartered by Murray. In addition, the Buchan arms are listed by Moncreiffe of that Ilk as a territorial arms not unlike the Atholl arms (see Scotland of Old). The Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, arms were also protected in this same LoAR, with the note that this family played a critical part in Scottish history and is today the premier Duke in Scotland. Similarly, Atholl is a duke, and apparently played a fairly significant role in Scots history going from a Lord of Parliament in 1600 to a Duke, Earl, and Marquess, and Lord in Scotland in 103 years. In fairness, it should be noted that Murray, Earl of Tullibardine, Azure three mullets argent and for augmentation a double tressure flory counterflory, (now Duke of Atholl) was not protected in this LoAR, with the note insufficient evidence given to justify protecting these arms.
2. Medb ingen Domnaill uí Somhairle. Device. Azure, on a pitcher argent a millrind azure and on a chief argent three millrinds azure. 
This submission's mini-emblazon was illegible, appearing to have no charges. The blazon correctly described the emblazon. However, since only one commenter indicated that she checked for conflict based on the blazon, it is necessary to pend this for research.
(This was originally item 21 on the Ansteorran LoI of October 20, 2001.)
3. Melissent d'Aulnay. Device. Or, a unicorn and on a chief azure three Latin crosses botonny Or. 
The crosses on the mini-emblazon were almost impossible to see due to problems with the photoreproduction, and it is not clear whether the College checked for conflict on this submission because of the problem with the emblazon. The blazon for the crosses on the LoI was not correct, as it referred to the crosses as passion crosses. Passion crosses have steps at the base of the cross, which are not present in these crosses. It is thus necessary to pend this for more research.
(This was originally item 22 on the Ansteorran LoI of October 20, 2001.)
4. Catlin of Anandyrdale. Device. Argent, on a bend wavy vert between two gouttes azure a cat sejant gardant palewise argent its front paws resting upon an arrow Or. 
The word “vert” was missing from the blazon in the LoI, and no timely correction was issued. This must be pended for further research.
(This was originally item 10 on Atenveldt's LoI of October 1, 2001.)
5. Muirghen Ruadh. Badge. (Fieldless) A pheon argent within and conjoined to a mullet of eight points formed of two delfs voided and interlaced Or. 
The original blazon had no tinctures. This is being pended for further research. Note that the description of the mullet is taken from the blazon of the submitter's registered device.
(This was originally item 30 on Atlantia's LoI of October 22, 2001.)
6. Tahir the Mad. Device. Azure, a bow fesswise string to chief between three mullets of six points voided and interlaced Or. 
This submission did not provide the tincture of the charges. It must be pended for further research. The bow was originally blazoned as “recurved” and “strung”. However, this is drawn as a default (strung) longbow, and thus those terms have been omitted from the blazon.
(This was originally item 37 on Atlantia's LoI of October 22, 2001.)
7. Thomas Ravenwood of Western Seas. Device. Sable, a bend sinister between two grenades Or overall a sword proper all within a bordure Or. 
The tincture of the bend sinister and the grenades was omitted from the LoI. This must be pended for further conflict research. The submitter should be advised, when the research is completed, to draw the bordure wider.
(This was originally item 16 on Caid's LoI of October 20, 2001.)
8. Bj{o,}rn Þorkelson. Device. Quarterly argent and azure, a raven rising wings elevated and addorsed sable maintaining a heart gules. 
The field was originally blazoned as quarterly azure and argent, so this must be pended for further research. However, this is clear of conflict with Cigfran Myddrael Joserlin the Raven, Argent, a raven rising reguardant, wings disclosed, proper, in dexter claw a sword gules. There is a CD for changing the field. The wings of Cigfran's raven are effectively displayed. Rising, wings displayed is a posture CD from rising, wings elevated and addorsed.
(This was originally item 1 on the Middle's LoI of October 12, 2001.)

Pray know that I remain
In service

François la Flamme
Laurel Principal King of Arms