Dacre's Knot

The Dacre family are recorded to have a peculiar and distinctive knot on their badge or cognizance. The Arms of the family who were established in Westmoreland and Cumberland are as follows: –

“Gules, three escallops Or” – Dacre. And it will be observed that the scallop shell is repeated in the badge.

a dagger

Amongst weapons daggers are frequently borne, though blazoned under different names. Their position should be described, whether paleways or fessways. If not otherwise stated the points should be upwards, The hilts, pomels, etc., a may be of a different tincture.

“Gules, a fesse chequy argent and azure, a dagger paleways in base proper. (and in chief a mullet for difference)” – Linday, Pitscandly, Scotland.
“Sable, two daggers in saltire, points upwards, between four fleur-de-lys argent” – Barrow, Bishop of Sodor and Man, 1663, afterwards of S.Asaph, 1670-80.
“Ermine, two bars within a bordure engrailed Gules; on a canton of the last a dagger erect proper, pomel and hilt Or” – Nugent, Berks.
“azure, a fesse or, between three dagger's heads of the last” – Lockyer, 1672.
“azure a chevron between three daggers, with blades wavy, pointing downwards argent” – Cleather, Cornwall.

“argent, a chevron between three dirks azure hilted or, with those in chief pointing downward” – Glasham, Scotland.
“Gules, a dirk palewise argent, between two fleur-de-lys in chief and a mullet in base Or” – MacAul, Scotland.
“Gules, a dexter hand fessways, holding a rapier erect, on the point a boar's head proper” – Beath.
“azure, a skean in fesse argent, hilted and pomelled Or, between three boar's heads, couped of the second and muzzled sable” – Forbes, Robslaw.
“Gules, three skenes palewise in fesse argent, hilts and pomels Or, surmounted of as many wolves’ heads of the third” – skene, Aberdeen.
“Per chevron argent and Gules, three skeans surmounted with as many wolves’ heads counterchanged” – skene, Newtile.

A field or charge covered with small squares. See also Diaper.
 

A zigzag Bar with fairly wide indentations, hence ‘Dancetty’ Not to be confused with ‘Indented’ when the indentations are much smaller and consequently more numerous.
 

Unheraldic. There are a number of examples that could be placed under this head. For instance, one grant of Arms shows negroes working on a plantation; another has Chinamen carrying cinnamon; a Bishop of Elybore, among other things, three kings, on bezants, crowned, robed sable, doubled Ermine, a covered cup in the right hand and a sword in the left, both Or; the grant to Lord Nelson, as well as some of his officers, were altogether unheraldic.
 

Said of a bird when its feathers are trimmed or edged with a small line of another color.
 

Used in describing a serpent whose tail is represented straight downward.
 

(French.) Parted; severed. See also Uncoupled.
 

An epithet applied to an animal which has lost its tail.
 

Or, a delf vert

One of the abatements; a mark of disgrace, indicating that a challenge has been revoked or one's word broken. The delf is represented by a square-cut sod of earth, turf, etc. See also abatements.
 

a demi-cross

A treated cross, with but one example cited in Parker, the bearings of Tokett; “argent a chevron between three demi-crosses Gules”.
 

a demi-maltese cross

A treated cross. Given in theoretical works but not attested.
 

Indented.
 

Said of an animal or bird the head of which is represented turned toward the base of the shield.
 

Coming down from above. Example: A lion in descent with its head toward the base point and its heels toward one of the corners of the chief, as if in the act of leaping down from some high place.
 

Used sometimes to describe the moon on the wane or in eclipse.
 

Unfurled, as colors flying.
 

Dexter Chief Point

A point in the dexter upper corner of the shield, being in the dexter extremity of the chief
 

An arch rising from the rim of a crown and uniting with other arches to form a center, which serves to support the globe and cross or fleur de lys as a crest.
 

A shield diapered is one covered with a ground pattern, generally of squares or lozenges, with a flower scroll work or other ornament in each compartment. The idea is supposed to have been copied from the linen cloths of Ypress. While there are a number of early examples of diapered shields, it cannot be called strictly heraldic.
 

Marked or distinguished by a difference.
 

The defacing of some particular point in an escutcheon.
 

Something smaller than the regular size; on a smaller scale. For instance, the diminutive of the bend is the bendlet, being half its width.
 

Applied to a bird or beast deprived of claws, teeth or beak.
 

The same as disclosed, except that the points are elevated.
 

Applied to birds having neither feet nor legs; also, to animals whose members are separated.
 

Displayed, as a standard or colors when open and flying.
 

a lion dormant

In a sleeping posture; as, a lion dormant; – distinguished from couchant
 

Having a double tail, as a lion. Sometimes the tails are placed saltirewise.
 

a dovetailed line

Or, a fess dovetailedpurpure

A formed of complex field division with semi-trapizodal sections, normal and inverted, alternating.
 

A fabulous beast, the upper part resembling a lion, and the lower part the wings and tail of a dragon.
 

One of the heralds of the Office of Arms, Ireland.
 

a ducal coronet

The head attire of a duke, consisting of a circle of chased gold, with eight strawberry leaves on its upper edge, a cap of crimson velvet, terminating at the top with a gold tassel. When a coronet is used in a crest it is generally the ducal.