I was looking for a project to work on over the summer and decided it might be interesting to research and illustrate the Lewis Arms sign.
The motto “Ofner Na Ofne Angau” means “Fear Him Who Fears Not Death”. According to Burke’s Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, this was attributed to Gwaethvoed in response to Edgar, King of the Saxons (943 – 975).
The same book shows the family’s coat of arms to be a lion with a lion crest. I can’t find any information to show what the Lewis Arms coat of arms represents. If you’re an expert in this field, please get in touch.
Arms – Sa. a lion rampant arg
Crest – A lion sejant arg
Motto – Patriæ fidus
Estates – In the counties of Glamorgan Monmouth Gloucester and Somerset
Town Residence – Grosvenor Gate Park Lane
Seat – Greenmeadow near Cardiff
The final illustration took about 50 hours to create.
The image is designed using vector graphics, which allows you to enlarge the image without losing quality.
The quarters include some traditional heraldic charges.
My father went to Lewis Boys School Mon and he told me that the coat of arms on the Lewis Arms is the same as the boys school amd was the same coat of arms as the Lewis Family Greemmeadow House.
Hi Jack,
I guess the multiple quarterings – 12 in this case – imply marriages between families with existing Coat of Arms. The first and final quarters are clearly repeated representation of the Lewis Coat of Arms as represented in Burke’s book. I guess it would be possible to identify the other 10 by going to the Register of the College of Arms – https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/about-us/records-and-collections – but it might take some time, especially for a non-expert!!