An excerpt from the book Descendants of Samuel Sturtevant compiled by Robert Hunter Sturtevant
The Sturtevant family Coat-of-Arms from Palace Hall, County Nottingham, England, (as mentioned in Burke’s “General Armory”) is described as follows:
Armorial Coat:
Gules a lion rampant; argent on a border of the last eight pheons sable.
Description of the Symbols and Colorings of the … Armorial Coat:
- GULES or red, denotes military fortitude and magnanimity*. It is also the “Martyr’s Colour”.
- ARGENT white or silver, signifies peace and sincerity.
- SABLE or black, denotes constancy and sometimes but most rarely, grief.
- THE LION has always held a high place in heraldry as the emblem of deathless courage.
- THE BORDER or bordure, is an “ordinary”. This form or bearing is of great antiquity and was frequently adopted a “difference” between relatives bearing the same arms.
- THE PHEON signifies the barbed iron head of a dart, arrow, or other weapon.
There is a lot of misconception about family coats of arms. It is very easy to get one to display on your wall. You can usually get one from a number of mail order type firms and some stationery stores. The product you purchase probably will not belong to your family but most likely, will be the coat of arms for another family of the same name.
Few people are entitled to authentic coats of arms, which were originally assigned to families in Europe, usually for heroic deeds or for service to country. Traditionally, only direct descendants of these families are entitled to display them.
In that we [are unable to trace Sturdevant lineage] back to a specific family in Europe, we cannot legitimately claim any relationship to the Sturtevant family assigned such an honor.
SOURCE: Descendants of Samuel Sturtevant, compiled by Robert Hunter Sturtevant, first edition, first printing – July 1986, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-50436.