144 Heraldry in England and America. 



The company of Salters bear for their armor, per chevron azure and 

 gules three covered salts (salt cellars) or, sprinkled argent. 



The Company of Ironmongers, incorporate] 14C4. hoar argent on a 

 chevron gules between three gads or pieces of steel, azure, as many 

 pair of shackles or manacles or. If the chronological order of institu- 

 tion of the guilds of Vintners and Ironmongers is sufficient to deter- 

 mine the question, then Englishmen began to drink wine before they 

 worked in iron. ' It was about 1329 that were incorporated the com- 

 pany of Vintners. They bear sable a chevron between three tuns or 

 wine barrels argent. 



Neither were the Company of Dyers above their business, for their 

 arms were sable, a chevron engrailed between three madder bags argent, 

 banded or corded or. 



The Company of Brewers began operations also previous to the Iron- 

 mongers, showing the early predilection of our ancestors for their beer, 

 and also that the breuvr- were not a-haiued to make conspicuous the 

 symbols of their occupation. Their arms were gules, on a chevron 

 argent between three pair of garbs saltire-ways, or, three tuns or barrels 

 sable. All these may not be as high-toned as flying dragons and 

 rampant lions, but then, a coat of arms is a coat of arms. 



We come now particularly to the 



Family use of Heraldry m America. 

 We must remember that the English who settled in New England 

 and New York reproduced here exactly the state of society that they 

 left in their old home. All the traditions and social customs and senti- 

 ments that prevailed there also ruled here for the first two or three 

 generations. Now there were many in New England and New York 

 who, according to the laws and customs of England before alluded to, 

 were then known and styled gentlemen of coat armor. Their social 

 rank appears everywhere on the old records, and evidence of the same 

 appears in the old faded parchment coats of arms or in seals engraved 

 in London, or on old tombstones who., sculptured arms and memorial 

 lines were cut in England and brought across the ocean and set up in 

 our old cemeteries. In the fires of the revolution., by the ubiquity of 

 the district school and the attrition of the struggle for life under freer 

 skies, these old social distinctions have disappeared. Now " one man 

 is just as good as another, and if any thing a little better." Now 

 aristocracy or no aristocracy, money or no money, the man who has 

 learned to limit his wants by his income is kin-. Self-contained, self- 

 respectful he calls no man master. But for all this I suppose a man 



