LEARMONTH-LERMONTOV. A HYISTORY OF THE NAME AND FAMILIES

heraldic stone dated 1565, originally built into the west side of the
‘Old Tollbooth’ in Market Street, St. Andrews, which was
demolished in 1862. On the left are the Arms of Sir Patrick
Learmonth of Dairsie, Provost of St. Andrews 1550-86. These
Arms have a helmet over the shield. On the right of the Arms are
the emblems of the Burgh of St. Andrews, a boar (wild pig) and an
oak tree (personal communications: Julie Poole, Librarian, St
Andrews, Fife; Scottish Historical Review, v. 2, page 337, 1886).
As a result, we not only have a description but also the
original samples, which confirm the unique design of the original
Coat of Arms dated: 1511, 1529, 1565, 1520-1616, and probably
1660.
All these ancient examples of the Learmonth (Leirmont)
Arms have one common feature ‘the Chevron‘, as it appears on old
seals and monuments, reaches from the base to the top of the
escutcheon (“A System of Heraldry” by Alexander Nisbet. 1816, v.
I, p. 148). This feature was changed in later times and the top of
the chevron now reaches no further than the collar point, this can
be seen on Arms from the XVIII century and particularly in recent
times. Modern designers do not seem use the old chevron
positioning.
The placement of the chevron at the shield could be the key
heraldic symbol which connects the Lermontov family to the
Learmonth families of Dairsie and Balcomie.
In 1797 for the first time in Russia, His Imperial Majesty
Paul instructed to collect and to publish a book entitled “The
General System of Heraldry of the Russian Noble Families”.
According to this decree each noble family whose arms are
recorded in this book, would receive a certificate from the leader of
the nobility.
The individuals who could prove that they belonged to a
noble family would be given a copy of the family Coat of Arms on
a parchment with a press. His Imperial Majesty Paul ordered that
the “The General System of Heraldry of the Russian Noble
Families” would be the main source of information that would
prove a family’s or person’s Noble origins ("The Noble Families in
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the Russian Empire ", St. Petersburg, 1993; Illus. 29).
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