Burchett Coat of Arms
 Thanks to Anthony Burchette for sharing this image of the Burchett Coat of Arms and the information that Burkes Armory only lists one Coat of Arms; this one.  Two brothers might have different arms but be very similar.  Since there has to be different families of Burchetts with different arms, one must trace back to every pedigree to see which family of Burchetts we came from to get the Coat of Arms.
 
 
 
 

  And thanks to William Burchett for sharing this image and the following  information about the Coat of Arms.  If you would like to add more information about the Coat of Arms, send the webmaster some mail!

How the term "Coat of Arms" evolved makes an interesting story.  Because wars were almost a continual occurrence during the Middle Ages, more and more armor was added to a knight's battle uniform until the medieval warrior was finally protected from head to toe. The metal suit of armor always included a helmet to protect the head, thus it was virtually impossible to tell one knight from another. In order to prevent any mishaps on the battlefield, such as one friend spearing another, a means of identification was necessary. A colorful solution first came as knights painted patterns on their battle shields.

These patterns were eventually woven into cloth surcoats which were worn over the suit of armor. In fact, many a horse was also seen prancing around in a fancy cloth surcoat with its master's Coat of Arms ablaze on the side. There must have been a Burchett in medieval armor to have been granted the fore-mentioned blazon.  This colorful identification probably became as important to this Burchett as the Burchett name, and his Burchett Arms were certainly displayed with great pride. As more designs were created, it became necessary to register or copyright these designs, to prevent two knights from using the same insignia. Records were kept that gave each knight exclusive rights to his arms. In many cases, records were then compiled listing the family name and an exact description of its Coat of Arms. These are called "armorials" or "blazons."

You are already familiar with the Burchett blazon as described.  The word "heraldry" is associated with Coats of Arms due to the role of the "herald" in recording the blazons, and comes from a common practice at a medieval sporting event. Tournaments (or jousting contests) were popular during the days of knighthood, and as each soldier was presented at a tournament, a herald sounded the trumpet and then announced the knight's achievements and described his arms. The heralds would then record the arms as a way of insuring that a family maintained its protective rights to have and use its individual arms.  The Burchett name is intertwined with heraldry and history.

Heraldry offers a fascinating study of medieval lifestyles where we can surmise much regarding your Burchett forebearers. Historically, different creatures of nature denoted certain characteristics, and various inanimate shapes implied certain traits, historical factors or aspirations. For example, the chevron symbolized protection, and has often been placed on arms to tell others that its bearer achieved some notable feat. A symbol (or charge) placed on a Coat of Arms usually provided clues to a person's being. Some arms are an artistic interpretation of a person's name (many of the Fisher arms include dolphins or other fish).   Many arms reveal a person's occupation. Others tell about less tangible characteristics, such as the early bearer's hopes, wishes and aspirations. For example, hope is shown by a wheat garb or sheaf, and joy by garlands of flowers or a red rose.  Crosses and religious symbols often meant the person felt a closeness to the supernatural, or could have symbolized that the knight was a veteran of one of history's bloodiest battles - the Crusades.

Heraldic research is full of proud warriors boasting their war records via their Coats of Arms. The first arms were quite simple, consisting only of the shield. The design was set off with a horizontal or vertical band, star or halfmoon; however, the renderings became more complex during later times. Immediately above the shield is the helmet, whose style depends on the country and the status of the early bearer.  The crest was the emblem that survived when the banner was destroyed and the shield shattered, as a rallying symbol of the knight's courage.  It was painted on leather or sometimes thin metal.

 
This page was last updated on Saturday, 01-May-2010 09:58:55 MDT