The Gidley coat of arms

 I know many of you are interested in the Gidley coat of arms and some have requested permission to use it. This is usually denied, as conditions of its inheritance are strictly applied by the College of Arms. But I thought you may be interested in how it was re-registered in the 19th century, as reported by Bartholomew Courtenay Gidley [1835-1918, born in Ilminster, Somerset, sometime wine merchant in London], and reproduced in the Gidley Record Notebook which was kindly transcribed by Chris Lassam when it was put up for auction in 2023.

Following the story of re-registering there is a very long description of the arms, using heraldic terms, attempting to work out the reasons for what was included on the device.

"But for a curious incident which happened about the year 1876, the grant of arms would never have been registered, nor the pedigree constructed. My cousin Bartholomew Charles Gidley [1839-1888] of Exeter, solicitor and Town Clerk of Exeter, had, when at Oxford University, had a friend called Harrison, who after they left college, became the Windsor Herald. Bartholomew Charles Gidley, being on business in London and having a little time on his hands, went to the College of Arms and asked Harrison if he would allow him to see the entries of the Gidley family. He said certainly and he would go and look them up. After a short time he returned and said that the name of Gidley was not in the index. Bartholomew Charles Gidley said that this was very strange, as he had seen the grant itself: it was in the possession of Mr Gustavus Gidley [1821-1910] of Plymouth, the oldest living representative of the senior branch of the family. Harrison asked if he could tell him who signed it and he said Bysshe Clarenceaux. At which Harrison said that, no doubt owing to the troubles of that year (1666 when the house occupied by the Heralds was burnt in the Fire of London), many of Bysshe's grants were unregistered.My cousin asked what could be done to remedy the defect and Harrison said that if we could produce a reliable pedigree from the time of the grant up to date he would register it. My cousin Bartholomew Charles Gidley therefore wrote to me say he would look after the Devon part of the pedigree. After some months we both accomplished our respective shares of the work to the satisfaction of the College and the grant and pedigree were officially registered."