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Welcome to the Hender
Coat of Arms PageWhat is in a Coat of Arms? What does it means? Who is able to claim such as their own? This is a picture of a common Hender family Coat of Arms that can be easily found and seen as one browses the internet for a 'Hender Coat of Arms'. My own surname is 'Hender', but this is NOT my personal Coat of Arms. Nor is it the Coat of Arms of many of the people who do buy it online or are 'inspired' to have it made up to display, use as a letter head of their mail or to drink coffee or hot chocolate out of a mug or think its cool to wear it on a t-shirt made up for them. This particular image is of a Hender Coat of Arms mouse pad that is for sell through Amazon.com. And anyone can buy it. I've thought about it. But really, what is it and what does it mean to such a buyer? Other than the name 'Hender' what do they really know about the Hender or Hendower family Coat of Arms?
What Is It? What Is in a Coat of Arms?All have a right to bear arms. Not meaning the United States Constitutional right to have and carry weapons, but the right to mark and carry a shield of identification, which identifies you, your family in some specific unique manner and differentiates you from another. However, it is one thing to have the right to bear arms, and quite another thing to bear a specific coat of arms as your 'own'. Originally and most importantly the purpose of coats of arms and 'heraldry' is that of unique identification. This implies that different people are to have different styled Coats of Arms. In the Middle Ages and the Renaisance there are reports of lawsuits over the assumption of one persons just assuming and using as their own an already borne Coat of Arms of another person. And the infringer was compelled by law to adopt a new coat of arms that could not be confused with the first. While proper courtesy sill prompts this proper behavior, one may want to be aware of the 'heraldic' laws and legal protection etc., that is still enforce in various countries. Regardless of the law today, proper notice and recognition in respect to another's Coat of Arm ought to still be a standing standard of Coat of Arms etiquette. You just do not pick up and assume as your own someone else's Coat of Arms. Though many an unethical business which gets rich selling other peoples Coats of Arms and actually falsifyingly and misrepresentingly use them to be something that they are not. They ought to be recognized and treated as the charlatans that they are. A reputable seller of Coats of Arms will be able to inform you concerning the proper identification of any given set of Coat of Arms it sells including whose it is and what it stands for in respect to the true owner and person and or person's family that it in truth represents. If they cannot do that, do not buy from them because they are selling and getting rich by selling meaningless crap and taking away the proper common rights of people in general. There is nothing wrong with owning a copy of a Coat of Arms, particularly if it does have some meaning of interest to yourself. Some people collect them. Some like to see and display those Coats of Arms of someone who is their name's sake. Often a coat of arms has worth while sets of values which can inspire. My surname is 'Hender' and I enjoy having an understanding the Hendower/Hender historical Coat of Arms and understanding that it represents a family whose roots extend back to Wales and how it represents that Hender family line of the Cornwall Hendower/Hender family who came from Wales and established themselves in Cornwall. I even consider that I may well be some how descended from that Hender family, myself being a Hender whose family does come out of Cornwall. But I know and understand that I am NOT John Hender, Esq. of Boscastle nor am I Richard Hender of Brannel. And while some of what that Hendower/Hender Coat of Arms may apply to me in the long run, that particular Coat of Arms is NOT MINE and does not represent my family today. My family today has its own identification and its own story to tell, and if I wish I could easily use my own creative mind and igenuity to create my own Coat of Arms that specifically applies to me and my family. I don't need to impose on that individual of old and his family by stealing from them the ownership of their Coat of Arms which is some hundreds of years old and I do not need toportray it as a representation of my family today and what my family is all about. Do You? As an ignorant usurper a person generally has little idea just what it is that someone else's Coat of Arms really means, entails and is all about. Get a life of your own! It is a most inapropriate assumption to so deam another person's Coat of Arms as your own. And those in the 'heraldry know' see completely through your illegitimate assumption and just what it is that you are saying about yourself to have to presume someone else's identity. So, to begin with, this commonly seen Hender Coat of Arms is NOT my personal Coat of Arms. Nor do I claim it to be such. This image is but one found on those sites which most often sell such 'coats of arm' to people who are of a same or similar name as has heretofore been on a historical Coat of Arms. And often it has been bought by those who bear the name but in all reality do not bear the right to claim that particular Coat of Arms as their own. Heraldry can be fun and of great interest and can be used as a learning tool to discovering interesting family facts about the poeple who bore those Coats of Arms in times gone by. Used in a positive constructive way, it is great fun. Used as a false means of self agrandizement, it is nothing but an empty farce of meaningless tripe. Even if those prior persons turn out to be relatives or even far distant ancestors, that should even be of a great import to you to protect your distant family member from having their identity stolen in the swiping of their Coat of Arms. Shoddy Heraldry, like shoddy Genealogy erks me. I was on ond 'little' site that was selling the 'Hender/Hendower' family Coat of Arms by representing it as the 'HEN' Family Coat of Arms. Shabby, Shoddy money grubbing irresponsible professionals? NOT, certainly they are NOT responsible business men or honest character. Even if you also sell the Coat of Arms as the 'Hender' family coat of arms, what do they know of that Hender family whose Coat of Arms it historically truly belongs to and that they are infringing upon by also selling it as what it is not - someone else's Arms for money? Yes it is a nice looking Coat of Arms, a gold Lion Rampant amid an set of eight escallop shells on a solid blue background. But what does that mean to a family whose surname is Hen or even a Hender from Germany? To them its just a pretty often somewhat impressive little picture the gives them some type of unknown surface level shallow identity that is false and inproperly being used.
Where Does the Coat of Arms Come From?
Well you have to understand where the Hender or Hendower family, whose Coat of Arms it is, comes from to understand from where the Coat of Arms has evolved. In short, the Hender and/or Hendower family of Cornwall, England, whose Arms this is, came from Wales. And not just Wales, but from Powsy, Wales. And the coat of arms of Wales -Powsy and its evolution to being the arms of the Hender/Hendower family of Cornwall is shown below. One way of adapting a coat of arms down through generations of the same family lines is to keep the arms figure or character but you differentiate the colors. The arms of Powys, the arms of Powys Fadog and the Arms of Hender all have as their central figure a Lion Rampant, the Lion Rampant of Powys.
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Or. [gold/yellow] a lion rampant Gules [red] |
Argent [silver/white] a lion rampant Sable [black] |
Az. [blue] a lion rampant Or. [gold/yellow] |
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A Coat of Arms also often tells a story and yields family history by way of the addition of other symbols to the coat of arms. Though the Hender family came from and are of the Powys line and from the Princes of Powys, they removed themselves, first back and forth and then finally to settle as they did 'Sojourn, Travel, and Pilgrimage' to another location eight generations removed from Madog ap Maredydd, and their historical ties to the last King/Prince of a united kingdom of Powys to Cornwall where Richard de Hendower of Court in Branell it Manor of Creed, Cornwall. The additional symbol of the 'sojourner-traveler' is that of the escallop shell. And the number of the escallop shells on the Hender of Cornwall Coat of Arms is eight escallop shells. But to fit eight escallop shell round about the Powys Lion Rampant, the figure of the Lion was shrunken down in a size to make room for the shells. Then begs the question, 'Why eight shells?' The best answer I've come up with is that each added shell represents one generation removed from the family's connection to the Welsh Princes of Powys. Eight escallop shells is the common number seen on the Hender Coat of Arms today, but I've seen such a coat of a Hender family which had only seven shells instead of eight. That may have been the Coat of Arms of Thomas de Hendower the father of Richard de Hendower. Now I have seen a few variously formed pedigrees from that last prince/king of Powsy down to the Hendowers of Cornwall. And this is one guiding rules of thumb that I have been consistantly able to apply. If the given pedigree has the 8 generations in between then it adds credibility to that pedigree. If it does not have 8 generations then I've been able to find such inconsistancies in that pedigree which just do not add up to it being correct. Thus the 8 generation notion of what those 8 escallops represent seems to be self confirming as to that it is just that which they are.
Also, the shield at this time was only a part of the Coat of Arms for as indicated, a crest had also been added to the shield. The crest symbal was that of an erect flaming sword that a Coat of Arms maker from whom my sister bought such a Coat of Arms from, had that crest symbol of the flaming sword standing straight up atop a sideways turned helmet. It remined me of the flaming sword of justice raised up to heaven. Note the 1620 authorized pedigree and granted Coat of Arms and Crest granted to John Hender Esq., descended from Thomas Hender, who is the same as Thomas de Hender of Court in Brannel Manor. The female heir and daughter of Richard Hender and the daughter of Chamgerlayne and Pever, whose name was Margaret, married into the Tregarthyn family. That family later quartered their combined set of various Coats of Arms with that of Wadham. A monument plaque displayed that quartering of 9 coats of arms with the Tregarthin 6 coats of arms, which six coats of arms included that of Hendower, Chamberlayne, Pever, Tregarthin and two others. The Hendower arms was said to have had seven (semee) escallops, but by an upclose review of the Hendower arms I did count eight though one was smaller in order to fit into the awkward smaller quartering rendition of the coat of arms. (See monument here in the upper right hand corner.)
 The Edward Hender, who the footnote to the above presented pedigree states, attested to and signed the 1620 Visitation of Cornwall Hender pedigree. He is shown as the brother of John Hender, Esq. of Boscastle. Edward was of Verian whose wife was Elizabeth Trefrie of Foye, Cornwall. William Hender of Botriaux Castle, father of John Hender Esq. also had other children and sons as can be varified by the last will and testament of John Hender Esq., in which he names those who were living and so included in his will as either nephew or neice. But John Hender, the heir of Boscastle had but four daughters who married. A study of those four families do yield further Hender Coat of Arms quarterings with those families of Molsworth, Heale, Cotton and Robarts. One parting note, some such other Welsh pedigrees which support the Hender/Hendower family of Cornwall tie into the Welsh genealogy list for a wife to Thomas de Hendower, Anne, daughter of Ievan of Iorwerth ap David, an apparent Welsh wife. The Cornwall English pedigrees seem to like to indicate that Richard son of Thomas was an only son. While the Welsh pedigree also show only Richard as son of Thomas, they DO NOT state him to be an 'only son'. And the supplied Boscastle pedigree indicates that Thomas did have at least one other son besides Richard. With two or three additional generations between that 'other son' of Thomas and William Hender of Boscastle, there certainly is ample room for other such additional sons of the Hender family line and they are there in Cornwall to be found. It is just the exact family connections which are currently not found and missing. Also, it must be noted that exceptions are made. The official granting of Coats of Arms are not a function of Royalty recognition, and it is obvious that the 'once dead' Hender of Brannel Coat of Arms of Richard de Hendower was resurrected in order to be granted it to John Hender Esq. of Boscastle. John would have descended from one of Richard's nephews, a son of Richard's unnamed bother according to the Boscastle pedigree. Perhaps one day another Hender will arise and find a recognizable family connection to the Hendower family lines and if such desires are filled, perhaps one day the 'extinct' Hender Coat of Arms will be resurrected once again? Position gained by accompaniment of wealth can so resurrect past Coats of Arms to 'younger lines' since considered insignificant. There are a number of 'Hender' marriages into various visitation families including four such Hender marriages of the children of Thomas Hender and Sarah Adams, my 4th great grandparents, whose four children, Thomas, Grace, Mary and John Hender married into various members of the Peter family descendants of the recognized Peter family of Launceston on that same 1620 Visitations of Cornwall text.
So now, if you choose to own the 'Hender' Coat of Arms you must understand it is NOT officially or 'legally' your own coat of arms. It was last authorized for official use to John Hender Esq. of Boscastle and of course his daughters who were his heirs. The Hender Coat of Arms can be seen 'quartered' with such coats of arms as the families into which the fours daughters of John Hender did marry into. So even if your name is 'Hender' or you are a descendant of the Hender family, the Hender Coat of Arms IS NOT your Coat of Arms. The right to an official coat of arms must be approved and authorized. And even then it is highly unlikely that you would be authorized to use someone else's coat of arms. You'd likely set out to structure a Coat of Arms of your own based upon the nature and characteristics of your own family. And then it must be assigned to you by the proper heraldry authority if it is to be 'England recognized'. Yes, you can own the Hender Coat of Arms and whatever, but it is not your own coat of arms. And if you do chose to own the Hender Coat of Arms it would be good to know and understand something about it. Certainly don't use it under some other name such as I've seen it being sold as the 'Hen' coat of arms, whatever that means and is, IT IS NOT any type of proper use of the Hender Coat of Arms. You can buy just about anything and call it whatever you want, but it doesn't make it so. Coats of Arms are earned and granted, they are not just up and bought by money from the corner hobby shop, at least from a British Heraldry perspective. Myself, I have enjoyed working with and being aware of the Hender Coat of Arms. It has given me much information and insights into my own Hender family background, having been of a Hender of some historical presence in Cornwall myself. But it has also taught be to respect just what such Coat of Arms are and what they are not. They are not just 'fun and games' to be used loosely and claimed willy neally. They are serious family matters with much family history and background to be found in each and every one of them when properly respected and researched.
PS NOTE: There is either some movement or at least a lack of honest effort to set out and find genealogical connections of who are preceived by some to be but 'English' born people. Any number of efforts I have seen simply write off the Hender family of Cornwall into the dust of being just another common local English family of no other consequence. Many of which also go so far as to scoff at any such notion that the Hender families of Cornwall are of Welsh connection dispite all of the documentation and evidence there is to conclude otherwise. I would hope that it is not the 'English Crown' motivated to smooth over any such Cymru family connections back into such as Wales, Cornwall, Ireland and even Scotland. A people's ancestral heritage is very important and ought to be kept alive and not seen as any type of a threat. In the modern age of the world, I don't really see how any can truly conceive of a divided Britian upon the world scene. And past cultural differences ought to be far enough gone by. Certainly I am likely quite the mix of English, Wales, Irish, Scotish, and even French and any number of other ancestry to be so thought as to be a threat just because my surname is of the Welsh Hender/Hendower/Hendwr and of a possible descent from the Princes and Kings of Wales. I would love to see a new effort made to made available all that is in the records that would bring out any and all such family connections for us all. I understand that many records are gone and lost, but to purposefully ignore and belittle that which is obviously still there and somewhat under raps is really not acceptable behavior in this day and age. Personal gripe. | ||
In order to make both the Powys Lion Rampant and the escallop shells fit on the
same shield, the Lion figure had to be reduced and then the escallop shells of the
'traveling-sojourner' removed by eight generations could be added.
The last Hender family to have been sanctioned or authorized to use the Hender
Coat of Arms as their own is the family of John Hender, Esq. of Boscastle as the
family appears in the Visitations of Cornwall below with the family Coat of Arms
so stated as to what it entails. It is interesting that no more escallops were added
to the last authorized Hendower Coat of Arms of Richard, and it would have been, as
the pedigree shows, from Thomas de Hendower that the Henders of Boscastle desended.
rev 1 February 2015