blackamoor wearing fleur-de-lis crown

Background/Story

This button’s back mark suggests that it was made between 1815-1824 according to Tom Skovronsky’s Livery Buttons: Identification, Classification and Heraldry Vol. 2.

The 1905 edition of the Fairbairn’s book of crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland has a description:

a blackamoor’s head affrontee, couped at the shoulders ppr., in the ears earrings or, and on his head a chapeau gu., turned up erm., charged with a crescent, issuing thereform a fleur-de-lis or.

Quiz: Is this a perfect match? Let’s parse it out!

Log in to see the answer in the comment area.

1. “A blackamoor’s head affrontee, couped at the shoulders ppr.”
   • “Blackamoor’s head”: A representation of a black man’s head.
   • “Affrontee”: The head is facing forward (full frontal view).
   • “Couped at the shoulders”: The head is cleanly cut off at the shoulders.
   • “Ppr.” (Proper): a black person in his natural form, rather than stylized or tinctured.
2. “In the ears, earrings or”
   • “Earrings or”: The figure is wearing gold earrings in both ears.
3. “And on his head a chapeau gu., turned up erm.”
   • “Chapeau gu.”: A red (gules) cap.
   • “Turned up erm.”: The rim (or turned-up part) of the cap is made of ermine fur (a white fur with black tail spots, symbolizing nobility).
4. “Charged with a crescent, issuing therefrom a fleur-de-lis or.”
   • “Charged with”: A design is placed on the cap.
   • “A crescent”: A gold crescent (a half-moon shape) appears on the cap.
   • “Issuing therefrom a fleur-de-lis or”: From the crescent emerges a gold fleur-de-lis (a stylized lily symbol often associated with French heraldry).

Note also the label above the torse (the twisted fabric between the helm and the crest) to indicate cadency.

• This suggests that the bearer is the eldest son of the family while the father is still living.
• If the father dies, the son inherits the full arms and the label is removed.