Canton (heraldry)

Inheraldry,acantonis achargeplaced upon a shield. It is, by default a square in theupper dextercorner, but if in the sinister corner is blazoneda canton sinister.A canton is classed by some heraldic writers as one of thehonorable ordinaries;but, strictly speaking, it is a diminutive of thequarter,being two-thirds the area of that ordinary.^[1]However, in the armorial roll ofHenry III,the quarter appears in several coats which in later rolls areblazonedas cantons. The canton, like the quarter, appears in early arms, and is always shown with straight lines.

Thechequer,a pane of the field ofchequy,can be considered a diminutive of the canton, though it cannot be a charge on its own. Acanton sinisteris a canton placed on thesinister sideof the shield. An "enlarged sinister canton" appears in the arms of William Wilde Lotter.^[2]^[3]

A plain, uncharged canton (sometimes a canton voided is also used this way) can be used as amark of distinction,that is, not a mark of peculiar honour, but a mark denoting that the bearer is a stranger in blood. For example, a groom who does not descend from the bride's family but who adopts the bride's last name after the marriage might, upon receipt of aRoyal Licencepermitting this, use the bride's family's coat of arms with an uncharged canton or canton voided.^[4]

Special cantonsmay be added to the coat of arms ofbaronetsto indicate their rank anddifferencetheir arms from other members of the family. The canton is typically theRed Hand of Ulster(insinister),^[5]^[6]^[7]butBaronets of Nova Scotiause theshield of the arms of Nova Scotiaas a canton.^[5]

References[edit]

^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Canton".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 221.
^""South African Bureau of Heraldry: Application for Registration of Heraldic Representations and Objections Thereto, 10 November 2006".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-29.Retrieved2010-09-19.
^"South African Bureau of Heraldry: Registration of Heraldic Representations, 27 July 2007".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-29.Retrieved2010-09-19.
^Fox-Davies Arthur Charles (1909)A Complete Guide to Heraldry,page 136 (digitised by Prject Gutenberg)
^^a ^bPixley, F.S.A., Francis W. (2016) [1900].A History of The Baronetage.pp. 262–269.ISBN 9780956815750.Retrieved6 July2017.
^Collins, Arthur,The English Baronetage: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of all the English Baronets now Existing,Volume 4, London, 1741, p.287[1]
^Debrett's Peerage,1968, p.1235

External links[edit]

Media related toQuarters and cantons in heraldryat Wikimedia Commons

[1] Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Canton".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 221.

[2] ""South African Bureau of Heraldry: Application for Registration of Heraldic Representations and Objections Thereto, 10 November 2006".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-29.Retrieved2010-09-19.

[3] "South African Bureau of Heraldry: Registration of Heraldic Representations, 27 July 2007".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-29.Retrieved2010-09-19.

[4] Fox-Davies Arthur Charles (1909)A Complete Guide to Heraldry,page 136 (digitised by Prject Gutenberg)

[pixley-5] Pixley, F.S.A., Francis W. (2016) [1900].A History of The Baronetage.pp. 262–269.ISBN 9780956815750.Retrieved6 July2017.

[6] Collins, Arthur,The English Baronetage: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of all the English Baronets now Existing,Volume 4, London, 1741, p.287[1]

[7] Debrett's Peerage,1968, p.1235

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