Today, I received an inquiry by email that sent me down an interesting research rabbit hole, and (with the permission of my correspondent) I thought I would share that question and my answer here:
Sir,
The arms of my Achym family of Pelynt in Cornwall, England, are recorded several slightly different ways:
- Arg., a maunch within a bordure Sa. charged with eight cinquefoils of the field.
- Arg., a maunch within a bordure Sa. charged with nine cinquefoils of the field.
- Arg. a maunch maltayle S. within a border of the first charged with cinquefoils of the second (Harl. MS. 1956).
The arms as tricked on an ancient monument in the Pelynt church (ca. 1560) displays nine cinquefoils and the maunch that is shown in Maunch (2) of your online book. Both the maunch and the cinquefoils are displayed in gules.
I have searched to no avail to learn what “maltayle” means. Perhaps it is the rendering of the maunch shown as maunch (2).
Any advice or wisdom will be appreciated.
Ron Hill in Star, Idaho