Lamb Coat of Arms

These Arms are a first in Lyon’s Registers for 2 reasons. 

This is the first recording of a herring drifter and also a first in terms of the Blazon which describes the lambs as gambolling. Normally they are paschal or holy lambs.

The top half is to do with both my Dad’s father and mother’s side of the family who were for generations fishermen in the North East of Scotland. My Dad’s father’s family headed down from Peterhead to Aberdeen and his mother’s family headed North to Aberdeen possibly from as far South as Stonehaven. I’ve managed to trace my Grandmother’s family back to 1750. It starts with a John Leiper who was born in 1750 and who married an Anne Smith. Now he may not have been a fisherman, but the more recent generations going back to the early 1800’s were. Anyway, concerning both sides, if they weren’t catching it, they were making barrels for it or gutting it.

The Blazon per Fess, Argent and Vert, a barrulet wavy Azure between a herring drifter Sable in chief and 3 lambs gambolling Argent in base.

So back to the top half of my Shield. It shows a herring drifter Sable (black). This is a specialised boat used in the late part of the 1800’s. It is recognised by its 2 sails. There is one of its kind called ‘Reaper’ that has been restored by the Scottish Fishing Museum in Anstruther in Fife. The reason for the decline in these boats is steam. Steam engines were fitted to fishing boats in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and they meant that catches were more productive. Most of these steam boats operated from Aberdeen’s port and so the reason for the slow migration of fishermen from northern and southern harbours towards Aberdeen.

The wavy blue band obviously represents the sea.

The bottom half is to do with my maiden name which was Lamb. In this regard, the Arms are ‘canting’ Arms ie a play on words. Happily though, my Mums family, again for generations were tenant farmers in and around Huntly in Aberdeenshire and so it all fits quite well.