EPONYMOUS FAMILIES OF DORSET. 1 27 



Antiochs bear a cross rayonnant, but there is no record of the 

 tinctures.* 



AUMARLE. 



The name of Aumerle, or Aumarle, is a variant of the title 

 Albemarle, which was borne by Eudo of Blois, Count of Cham- 

 paigne, who married Adeliza, a half-sister of William the 

 Conqueror, and accompanied him in the invasion of England. 

 He owned the Castle of Albemarle, in Normandy, and derived 

 his title from that fief, f not deeming it necessary or dignified to 

 lower himself to the level of the Saxon lords by taking an earl- 

 dom in their conquered country ; and it is somewhat curious to 

 reflect that all the later revivals of this peerage have been 

 qualified by this haughty Count's disdainful estimate of an 

 English title. ' 



There is some difficulty in identifying the precise branch that 

 gave name to "Ham Aumerle," now probably "Long Ham," 

 since, as in addition to other difficulties, the characterising epithet 

 has long fallen into disuse ; but it seems most likely that the family 

 to which Sir Geoffrey de Aubermarle belonged was the epony- 

 mous family in this case. This knight's name occurs in a Roll of 

 Arms of the date (approximately) of 1313 among the armorial 

 gentry of Dorset and Somerset ; for the two counties, being then 

 under the same Sheriff, were in many respects reckoned as one. 

 Nothing of importance is known of this personage ; he was not 

 recorded as present at the Siege of Caerlaveroch in 1300, and 

 his connection with the Counts of Albermarle of the original 

 stock which became extinct about 1273 is difficult to trace. : 



* Hutchins, III., 676. 

 f Sir Harris Nicholas' " Historic Peerage of England." 



J If he is to be regarded as the real eponymous personage a different shield of 

 arms should be attributed to this name than that which, on the strength of the 

 Historian of Dorset's well-known accuracy, has been allotted to him in the 

 accompanying plate, and it may be noticed that Sir Geoffrey's arms were not 

 remarkable for the simplicity which generally characterises an ancient coat, being 

 Gules, crusilly of or, a bend mascaly of ermine, an achievement that perhaps 

 may be depicted in an appendix to this series should there be any need for such 

 an addition. Arms of the Counts of Aumarle, Party per befs azure and gules, 

 3 crescents argo. 



