Does a Knight Need a Coat of Arms?
Yes, a Knight should own a Coat of Arms. How Can I Find My Family’s Coat of Arms You can’t. A “family Coat of Arms” does not exist…anywhere. A Coat of Arms is always issued to an individual, not to a family. If the individual is the head of a family, then he (or, sometimes, she) becomes the “Chief of Arms” of the family, and the Chief’s Arms can then be found on items such as the carriage, the fireplace mantle, stationery, and the like. When members of the family use these items, the appearance is that the Arms displayed also belong to them…but that is not the case. The Arms show ownership of the items being used, not that the users own the Arms! There is no “family” Coat of Arms for anyone, anywhere–so you shouldn’t bother looking for one. Some persons have the idea that if their family name is the same as one in, for example, Burke’s Peerage, then they have a right to the Coat of Arms of the listed family. However, that idea is wrong. Having the same last name as someone who is
