Arms ok the Rovai. Hurgh ov Sanquhar. 95 



Ortice, lies before me as I write. The only motto thereon is 

 the ancient one, " In Defens." When King- Charles II. 

 registered his arms in 1672 the motto we are considering was 

 placed — as the second motto — below the shield. The motto^ 

 unless it is a second one, should always be placed above the 

 crest in Scotland. In the case of the royal arms of Scot- 

 land the first motto, " In Defens," is always placed there. 

 The English custom, on the other hand, is to place the motto 

 below tiie escutcheon, and it is to be regretted that there are 

 Scotsmen who seem to prefer the method of the Southern 

 Kingdom to that of their own. They do not seem to know 

 that it is a national usage they are flouting". There can be no 

 doubt as to what is the correct way since all Scottish heraldic 

 authorities, both ancient and modern, are agreed as to this. 

 Vet it unfortunately happens that on the Provost's chain of 

 office and on the piper's official banner the motto has been 

 placed according- to the English rather than the Scottish 

 fashion. On the medal struck to commemorate the riding of 

 the marches in 1910 the motto is so placed that it is also read 

 round the foot of the shield. 



There is still to be seen in Sanquhar a splendidly carved 

 stone tablet bearing the Crichton crest, a dragon's head 

 crowned spouting fire. Above the crest is the motto, " God 

 send Grace." This tablet, which bears the date 1751, is built 

 into a house in Simpson Roatl. Another tablet bearing a 

 shield of arms and dating from the 17th century is built into 

 the churchyard wall. The motto, " Spes," is to be seen 

 above the shield. Unfortunately, as I have said, the newer 

 heraldic examples have not been so correctly made, and it 

 would have been better had the old arms still to be seen in 

 Sanquhar been more closely studied. One certainly would 

 expect that the Royal Burgh of Sanquhar would show a closer 

 regard for the heraldic customs of its own country. Perhaps 

 it may not be too late yet to have the error rectified. 



I have now to thank those who have assisted me with 

 this paper. I am indebted to Mr Forsyth, Town Clerk, and 

 Mr R. Wilson, Burgh Fiscal, for information regarding the 

 form of arms now in use. I have to thank Mr John A. 

 Stewart, Mr C. Cleland Harvey, and Mr Graham Johnston, 



