A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF THE BEND. 9 t
" eodem contextu arc* symbolical, qiuc cst tessera gentiKtia DAMUGLIAK F.VMILIAE
" cum Venetiis," which \vi;h us would be blazoned, bendy of six, argent and
azure, counter-changed per bend sinister, and by the French, contre-bande if argent
\3 d'azur de douze pieces.
When bendlets are placed two and two together, they are with us called bendlets
gemels, as before of the bars gemels, and by the French, jumclles* the Latins
gernini.
Having treated of the bend in all its common variations, and as we blazon a
bend, on a bend, or bend charged, bend between, or accompagne, or aAoye of figure*.,
bend cottised, bendlets and cottises, it follows now to treat of figures, natural and
artificial, which are situate after the position of the benu, for which we say /'// bend,
and bend-ways, as of the former ordinaries. The first respects the situation of
small figures, the one above the other in bend ; and the .second respects the
position of an oblong figure, after that of the bend ; for an example of the first,
fig. 20. Plate V. argent, three martlets in bend between two cottises sable, carried
by the name of NORVILLE, as in Font's MS. Some of this name carry sable, on a
bend between two cottises or, three martlets of the first, by NORVILLE of Boghall,
and for crest, a martlet rising, proper : motto, Spem renovant alee. N. R.
Sable, three lions passant in bend, between two double cottises argent, borne by
BROWN Viscount MONTAGUE ; which family was dignified with the title of Vis-
count, by Philip and Mary of England, in the year 1554.
As for example of an oblong figure, placed bend-ways, I shall add the arms of
the surname of SYMINGTON, with us.
Fig. 21. Plate V. Gules, a two handed sword bend- ways between two mullets or,
as in Mr Font's MS. and in Esplin the same, but with one star in chief.
I
the
proceed now to
variations of the
give blazons of families with us, and in England, with all
bend that I have treated of : And first of examples of a
bend.
BIZZET, or BISSET of that Ilk,
Balfour's MS.
of old, azure, a bend argent : As in Sir James
This surname is said to be old with us, being in the reign of Malcolm III. as.
Hector Boece, in his History. In a charter of King Alexander III. to the abbacy
of Paisley, Walter Bisset is a witness ; and he again with William Bisset are witnesses
in another charter of that king's to the abbacy of Dunfermline. In the
reign of King Alexander III. Sir John Bisset of Lovat, mortifies an annuity out of
his lands to the Bishop of Murray he died ;
without heirs-male, and left his estate
to his three daughters, the eldest was marrid to David de Graham, afterwards de-
signed of Lovat, as in an agreement betwixt him and the Bishop of Murray, re-
was married to
lating to the fishing in the water of Torn ; the second daughter
Sir William Fenton of Beaufort ; and the third to Sir Andrew de Bosco, (Had.
Coll.) in anno 1292. Amongst the barons convened at Berwick, upon
the desire
of King Edward of England, he was chosen arbitrator between the competitors
for the crown of Scotland ; there is one William de Bisset (says Sir George Mackenzie
in his Manuscript) upon whose seal the bend is surmounted with a label
of five points.
In our old books of blazons, BISS*ET of Beaufort carried azure, a bend argent, as
in W. MS. and in B. MS. azure, a bend sinister argent.
BISSET of Fairnyflcet, and BISSET of Lessendrum, carried of old, azure on a
bend argent, three mullets gules, for difference : But now BISSET of Lessendrum,
as chief, carries the plain coat, viz. azure, a bend argent, as matriculated in the
Lyon-Oftice. And there WILLIAM BISSET, Merchant in Aberdeen, azure, on a
bend argent, three mullets gules.
These of the name of BISSET in England, as I have observed, carry for arms,
azure, seme of besants or.
The surname of VASS, or VAUSS with us, argent, a bend gules : This surname,
says Sir James Dalrymple in his Collections, is the same with the name De Vallibus,
in the charters of Malcolm IV. James
and Alexander de Vallibus were lairds
of Dirleton, in the reigns of Alexanders II. and III. of them were descended VASS
Lord DIRLETON, who carried the foresaid aims, which were quartered afterwards.