The Bond Line, A Narrative — Three

This is Chapter Three of seven: Digging deeper into our Cornwall ancestors— from Erth Barton, to Holwood Manor.

Wessex, one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, was land which now approximates the modern counties of Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset, and eventually expanded westward to cover Devon and Cornwall.

This may be how the name Bondi, came to be identified as the Bonds of Erth, who were located near the border of Devon and Cornwall, near Plymouth Sound. We do not know when our ancestors arrived in Penryn, Cornwall, but we do know that about the year 1400 our ancestor Robert Bond (of Penryn) married Elizabeth de Erth (Earth) and upon that marriage the Bonds of Erth began. (1)

Map of Cornwall and the South West, extracted from the map of England by Matthew Paris, circa 1250. The names Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset are large labels written in blue and red ink, with Dorset written in red ink. (Map detail courtesy of caitlingreen.org).

The Cornish Gentry

Gentry is defined as an old English word signifying people from a high social class, i.e. the landed gentry.

The names of most of the Cornish gentry are local… “The Cornish,” says Carew, “entitle one another with his owne and his father’s Christian name, and conclude with the place of his dwelling.” Carew was the author of the 1602 edition of the Survey of Cornwall.

The practice of families taking their names from the place of their abode, with the addition of de, was, at an early period, more or less prevalent throughout England. “Bond, of Earth, near Saltash, married the heiress of an ancient family, who took their name from that Barton [the manor house of a farm].”

Trematon Castle, Cornwall by Petit W Le, after T Allom,
published 1830 by Fisher, Son & Co. London.

Before the Duchy of Cornwall was created, as an annex to the English crown in 1337, Trematon Castle was one of four principal residences of the Earls of Cornwall. (2)

Hugh deErth and His Descendants

We first learned about the de Erth family with the mention of both Hugh and William de Erth in a long-titled book — A Continuation of the Complete History of England: containing the lives and reigns of Edward I, II & III and Richard the Second by Robery Brady, published in 1700. (This is the only historical reference we have found for William de Erth.)

On page 78 of that book, Brady writes that in 1304, the Terms given to, and accepted by John Comyn [terms of submission by the Scots after the last insurrection] … “These things are agreed on with Monsieur Richard de Burgh, earl of Ulster, Monsieur Aymer de Valance, … Monsieur Henry de Percy, Knights, and John Comyn of Badenagh, for Himself and his Aydants of Scotland, … in the Name  of the King, … Monsieur Hugh de Erth, Monsieur William de Erth, Monsieur James de Ross, … Knights, for themselves and all their Scots assistants, who would be sworn in the Peace and Faith of the King, were Sworn.”

Hence, Hugh de Erth was sworn as a Knight for his faithful service in battles for King Edward I, who reigned from A.D. 1272 – 1307. Edward was also known as Edward Longshanks, and the Hammer of the Scots. Hugh de Erth must have been very brave and valiant in battles to catch the attention of the King. Here is a little background:
24 February 1303: The Battle of Roslin takes place between English and Scottish forces at Roslin, south of Edinburgh, resulting in a Scottish victory. 
– An irritated and impatient man, King Edward I, in May 1303, invaded Scotland once more, with a view to subjugating the country once and for all. 
3 February 1304: The Community of Scotland under the Guardianship of John III Comyn agrees to a peace treaty with King Edward I.

A Continuation of the Complete History of England…by Robery Brady, 1700.
Detail excerpt from page 78. Note the use of the French language.

Obviously, King Edward I and his successors thought highly of the de Erth family from Cornwall. In 1299, Henry de Erth was born in Erth, St. Stephens Parish, Cornwall. His father was Sir Hugh de Erth, Knight, but his mother’s name is unrecorded. (Possibly her name could have been Helena Beckstead?)

In research from nearly a century ago, Allen Kerr Bond wrote in The Story of The Bonds of Earth: “The first mention of Earth in history that I can find, is in the English Calendar of Patent Rolls for 1337 A.D. (for King Edward III) when Henry de Erth [a Knight] is made Constable of the strong castle of Tremerton [Trematon], a few miles from Earth. Although this Knight of Earth was not a Bond, it was by marriage with one of his heiress descendants a little later that the first Bond came to Earth as its knightly possessor…” Henry de Erth had been bestowed these lands for services rendered to John of Eltham, the Earl of Cornwall, and the brother of King Edward III who reigned from A.D. 1327-1377. (Note: Kerr Bond uses the spelling Earth while we have chosen to use the original spelling Erth).

It must have been nice to be “in good” with the royal family. Hugh de Erth’s son, Sir Henry de Erth, was also a Knight, and apparently a very good friend and servant to John of Eltham, the Duke of Cornwall, a younger brother of King Edward III.

Excerpts from the 1337 Calendar of the Patent Rolls
for Edward III A. D. 1334-1338. From pages 382-383, 395, and 509.

There are (shown above) three excerpts from the 1337 Calendar of the Patent Rolls for Edward III A. D. 1334-1338, which identify Sir Henry de Erth specifically. The first two are the most important:
– The first excerpt endows him with the constableship of Tremonton Castle, which is a Knight’s role.
– The second excerpt reinforces the first endowment, establishes the terms, and recognizes Sir Henry de Erth’s long time services to John of Eltham. It further identifies Henry’s role as a “baneour”. That important role is the chief standard-bearer of the King; a Knight Banneret. John of Eltham was a warrior prince and Henry would have been right there in battle, beside him. In 1333, King Edward III made his greatest expedition against Scotland, resulting in the capture and permanent annexation to England of the strong Scottish border fortress of Berwick.

A medieval depiction of King Edward III at the siege of Berwick.
The Knight Banneret carrying the square-shaped banner is Sir Henry de Erth.
Here is the original context of the Sir Henry de Erth image, as found in a French illuminated manuscript. (See footnotes).

Sir Henry de Erth’s son Geoffrey de Erth, was likely born at Erth in St. Stephen’s Parish, Saltash, and died est. 1405. Geoffrey had a daughter named Elizabeth de Erth. As the heiress of Erth, she was his favored daughter — her birth is estimated to be 1375. Elizabeth is written about (below) in Our Erth Ancestors. (3)

Nearby is the Village of Saltash, Cornwall, England, Courtesy of Magna Britannia, Vol. III — Cornwall, circa 1814.

Where on Earth was Erth?

The Erth settlement, or estate, was likely located on the Lynher river, which connected to Plymouth Sound, not very far from the village of Trematon. From the book, The Bonds of Earth, by Allen Kerr Bond: “The great harbor of Plymouth, marking the beginning of the line of boundary between Cornwall and Devonshire; and beside a little river of Cornwall which enters this great harbor is the homestead “Earth” or “Erth,” the ancient dwelling of the Bonds of Cornwall.”

Richard Carew (1555-1620), Aged 32, as High-Sherriff and Deputy-Lieutenant of Cornwall. (Image courtesy of the British National Trust).

A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I, provides two relevant (but unattributed) references. The second entry follows: “In following the course of the Lyner [the Lynher river], you fall down by Master Bond’s ancient house at Erth, descended to his ancestors from a daughter and heir of that name.” We discovered that this quote was taken from The Survey of Cornwall by Richard Carew, published in 1602.

Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, page 111, published 1602.

In the “Table of the Second Booke” Bond is listed as being in the East Hundred, [similar to a county]. This is the easternmost county of Cornwall. This table falls near the end of the book.

Our research led us to add many new sources which confirm the establishment of the Bond family at Erth. (4)

We cited the two books in the top row left and center, in our writing about Hugh deErth and His Descendants. Excerpts from the other four sources are situated below:

The Parochial History of Cornwall, Vol. 3, page 465, published 1838.

Note: Galfridus is an Anglo-Norman variant of the name Geoffrey.

The Battle Abbey Roll , page 138, published 1889.
Magna Britannia, page 290, published 1814.
Magna Britannia, page c, published 1814.
Magna Britannia, page cxxxii, published 1814.

Our Erth Ancestors

We know some of the lineage of the de Erth line and the names of some of the early family. For the de Erth family, their gentry status within the Cornish society, we can infer: 1) Their names are location-based and so they must be from the landowning classes. 2) In a feudal society, land was power and so this placed them well above most Englishmen.

This map is included to show the difference in location from Penryn to Erth, Cornwall. Trains travelling from Penryn to Saltash cover a distance of around 43 miles (69 km) during the journey. Our ancestors could have easily sailed from one location to the other.

Map of Cornwall, circa 1665. Courtesy of etsy.com. The circled areas indicate Penryn on the left, and Erth on the right.

The deErth and Penryn ancestors for whom we have records, are listed below interspersed with important historical points. All births and deaths were in Cornwall, England, unless noted. For the Bonds of Penryn, we show a list only, as we have no knowledge of them as persons; how they lived, their education, and little of their professions.

When Goffery de Erth died, (Hugh deErth and His Descendants section), the next owner of Erth Barton was Robert Bond of Penryn, who had married his daughter, Elizabeth de Erth.

  1. Robert Bond was born est. 1370, in Penryn, Cornwall and died est.1434 at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall . He married Elizabeth de Erth who was born est. 1375 and died est. 1434. Elizabeth was likely born at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall and died in the same location. The Barton of Erth is located in St. Stephen Parish. As a result of this advantageous marriage, the Bonds of Penryn became the Bond’s of Erth, and Robert Bond vastly increased his landholdings.
Ancient Family Crest for de Erth
Ancient Family Crest for Bond

Elizabeth and Robert had three sons, all born at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall:
– Thomas born est. 1400 – death date unknown
– Robert born est. 1408 – death date unknown
Richard born est. 1410 and died est. 1462
Notes: We are descended from Richard Bond — he remained at Erth and continued the direct family line of Erth. His brother Robert, is the founder of the Dorset Branch of the Bond family.

1387: John Trevisa of Cornwall wrote the first book about England in the English language (previously Latin was the language most frequently used by authors).

2. Richard Bond born est. 1410 at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall and died est. 1462 in the same place. Richard married first Elizabeth Maynard est. 1400-1430 of Dorset, and subsequently after her death he married, in 1434, her sister, Agenta “Agnes” Maynard who was born est. 1411 in Dorset and died est. 1470 at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall. It has been written that Agnes Maynard was an heiress of an old Cornish family said to be descended from Irish kings.

John Burke, Esq. wrote A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, in 4 Volumes, published between 1833-1838. According to Burke: “Richard, of Earth , who m. in 1434 , (during the reign of 12th Henry VI) Agnes, second daughter and co-heiress of Richard Maynard, and their posterity were still residing at Earth at the visitation of Cornwall , anno 1620 . The Bonds, of Holwood, in the same county, were a younger branch of those of Earth , and are now represented by Thomas Bond in the county of Cornwall.”

Ancient Family Crest for Maynard in Cornwall, and Essex

Richard and Agnes had two sons: Thomas and Richard. (We are descended from Thomas).

3. Thomas Bond was born est. 1440 and died est. 1510, both at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall. The website Find A Grave states Thomas was born in 1450, but that would make him a pre-teen when married!

Thomas Bond married Elizabeth Kendall of Duloe, Cornwall, date unknown. She was born est. 1445 in Duloe to Richard and Jane (Penpons) Kendall and died est. 1516 at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall. Thomas and Elizabeth are buried in the ancient St. Stephen Churchyard in Saltash, Cornwall, England.

Ancient Family Crest for Kendall

Thomas and Elizabeth had three children, all born at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall.
– John born est. 1462 – death date unknown
William (Willms) born est. 1465 – death est. 1529 also at Erth, Cornwall (We are descended from William).
– Agenta born est. 1467 – death date unknown.

1485: Polydore Vergil, an Italian cleric commissioned by King Henry VII to write a history of England, states that “The whole country of Britain is divided into four parts, whereof the one is inhabited by Englishmen, the other of Scots, the third of Welshmen, the fourth of Cornish people … and which all differ among themselves either in tongue, either in manners, or else in laws and ordinances.” 

4. William (Willms) Bond married Jane Gibbs of Dorset about 1500. She was born est. 1480 in Dorset and died est. 1539 at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall. Both are buried in St. Stephen Parish churchyard in Saltash.

William and Jane had three children at Erth, Saltash:
– William II born est. 1503 – death date unknown
Richard born 1507 and died 1553 at Erth. (We are descended from Richard).
– Elizabeth est. 1509 – death date unknown. She was married three times; William Killigrewe, Robert Trevisa, and John Piper.

1498: Plague, a.k.a. the Black Death which one of the most devastating pandemics in human history sweeps England.

Henry VIII, circa 1509. Courtesy of http://www.tudorsociety.com

1509: Henry VIII’s coronation procession includes “nine children of honour” representing England and France, Gascony, Guienne, Normandy, Anjou, Cornwall, Wales and Ireland. 

Oh No! 1509-1510 More Plague in Cornwall...

1533-1540 Henry VIII founds Church of England and commences the Reformation. Dissolution of the Monasteries including Glasney College in Penryn (Part One). 

5. Richard Bond was born September 22, 1507 and died December 20, 1553, both at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall. In 1530, Richard married Elizabeth Coriton of Saltash, Cornwall, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Coryton/Coriton. Why the spelling of the Coryton name changed is unknown . Elizabeth was the widow of John Batten. The Coritons (Coryton) were an old family who as far back as 1250 were seated at Coryton in Devonshire. Elizabeth was born est. 1508 in Saltash, Cornwall. Her death date is unknown but she most likely died at Erth, Saltash, Cornwall.

Richard and Elizabeth had seven children. Their son, Thomas Bond, was born est. 1532 at Erth Barton, Saltash, Cornwall and died in 1600 at Fulham, London, England. (We are descended from Thomas, see The Bond Line, A Narrative — Four) (5)

Ancient Family Crest for Coryton

1545: The captain of Henry VIII’s ship the Mary Rose, Roger Grenville of Stowe (father of Sir Richard Grenville of the Revenge) dies in the sinking of the ship. This ship was acting as the flagship of vice-admiral Sir George Carew when the ship was struck by a squall and sank at Spithead (Portsmouth) on July 19th. [In the 1980s, our parents toured the recovered and restored ship wreck, Mary Rose, at the Cleveland Historical Society at University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio.]

It should be noted that the Bonds of Erth continued through Thomas’s brother, William Bond, who married Katherine Fitz de Ford and carried on the family Bonds of Erth. There are indications that other children and their decedents moved north of Quethiock to an area known as Tresunger in St. Endellion, County Cornwall. (5)

Erth Barton

Historic map of Erth Barton, Cornwall 1899-1900. Image courtesy of http://www.francisfrith.com).

The ancient ancestral Bond Estate is located close to the small city of Saltash in Cornwall, near Plymouth Sound. The Erth House is a Norman Manor House, and the Barton, or Farm, was once called Goffery Manor, in the 9th Century AD.

In 1610, a study was commissioned to determine if Erth House was the oldest building in Cornwall, and the conclusion was that it indeed was the oldest building due to large sections of the interior structure being intact. It did however, receive remodeling in the 17th century.  It is documented as a “barton at Erth held by Golfridus [Geoffrey] de Earth temp Henry IV (1399-1413)”. The building is today a country manor Bed and Breakfast with the same name.

The present day Erth Barton looks like a nice place to stay if you are in the Cornwall, England area. When I wrote about glancing backward in the The Bond Line, A Narrative — Two (Preface), I now realize that if I had earlier attained this level of scholarship about family genealogy — I (Thomas) certainly would have found a pathway for our parents to see the significant, original Bond estate. (6)

Quite Quintessentially Quethiocke – Our Holwood Ancestors

6. Thomas Bond married Jone (maiden name unknown) about 1560 and acquired the Holwood estate by marriage with Jone. She had probably inherited it from her family. Jone was the widow of T. Tome and had a daughter named Sable Tome. From the website findagrave.com for Thomas Bond(e) the following is a description of Holwood, the estate of Thomas and Jone Bond. “Thomas Bonde, a younger son, left Earth and located at Holwood, a seat higher up the river Lyner, of very great antiquity,… from him descend the family of ‘Bonds of Erth and Holwood.’ … Gilbert describes the place as” a fine estate abounding in tillage and pasture lands, excellent timber and fruits.” Holwood is 2 miles west of Quethiock, Co. Cornwall. It is also about seven miles northwest of the Bond’s of Erth, Saltash, County Cornwall.

Depending upon who was recording the information, the new parish was called Quethiocke, which had been known by other names. According to Bannister’s Glossary of Names: “The parish, formerly called Quethiocke, Quedic, Queidike, and Cruetheke, means “The weaver’s place (gwia) to weave.” And from genuki.org:
“The parish of Quethiock, (Cornish: Gwydhek), is pronounced “Gwithick”; anciently called Cruetheke… It is named after the Old Cornish for a wooded place”.

Holwood Manor on the River Lynher, Cornwall. Quethiocke parish is shown at top center.
Quethiock Church & Its Interior Manuments
Gilbert’s An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, 1820 edition, page 462.

7. William Bond, the only child of Thomas and Jone Bond, was born in 1561 at Holewood Manor, Quethiock, County Cornwall and died there in 1610. In 1582 William married Jane Sproue, daughter of Thomas Sproue of Northill. Children born to this marriage were: Eleanor 1583 (wife of Hugh Rositer), Thomas 1584 (the Second, of Holwood), Susanna 1587 (wife of Peter Hunt), John 1689, Christopher 1591, Anna 1593 (wife of Richard Roberts), and (possibly) Richard 1594. Jane (Sproue) Bond died, death date unknown.

At some point in time, we know that Thomas removed from Holwood and moved to Fulham, London, England. We can only speculate why and when this occurred. His young son, William, became “the lord of the manor.” We will elaborate on Thomas Bond of Fulham in The Bond Line, A Narrative — Four.

Sir Roger Moore as James Bond 007. Clearly perplexed, he’s likely trying to sort out all of the many ancestors named “William Bond” over the generations.
Image courtesy of http://www.digitalspy.com

After the death of his first wife, Jane, William Bond married a second time about 1606, to Wilmot Haughton, widow of Philip Stroud. Wilmot was born about 1570 at Haughton Towers in Lancashire, England to William and Anne (DeVerney) Haughton. Wilmot’s death at Holwood Manor is estimated about 1633. To this marriage two sons were born: William Bond 1608 (our ancestor) and his brother Peter Bond 1610. We will follow our ancestor William Bond in Section Four.

Thomas, the first born son of William and Jane (Sproue) Bond, most likely inherited Holwood Manor, as cited below, by the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). In the following generations of the William and Jane (Sproue) Bond’s family there are several males named William. As the generations grew it is likely that Thomas (b. 1688, son of William, b. 1663), had likely inherited Holwood. However, he “died without offspring”. In his will, “dated April 18, 1723, [he] left all of his lands to Richard, his first cousin…” with “the provision that he make either the mansion of Earth or Holwood his principle place of residence, under penalty of forfeiture of all lands so demised.” Richard chose Holwood, but he also died with out offspring. With their deaths, Erth and Holwood probably passed out of the family’s hands.

A description of Holwood.
Gilbert’s An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, 1820 edition, page 465.
Magna Britannia, vol. 3, page 274.

Our line of the Bonds of Erth & Holwood were minor political players, still mostly concerned with tending to their country manor houses, with their plantations and Devon cattle. Eventually, some of the Bond cousins of the Dorset line would become rather prominent in London, but that is not our direct lineage. Some in our line stayed at Erth, some went just a bit north to Holwood for a few generations, and some went to Fulham, London. (7)

Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials,
Notes, and Observations

(1) — two records

Britannica
Wessex
https://www.britannica.com/place/Wessex-historical-kingdom

Dr. Caitlin R. Green
Some Interesting Early Maps of Cornwall
Click on: Map of Cornwall and the South-West, extracted from the map of England by Matthew Paris, c. 1250
https://www.caitlingreen.org/2020/11/some-interesting-early-maps-of-cornwall.html

The Cornish Gentry

(2) — one record

BHO | British History Online
General history: Gentry
Cornish Gentry
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol3/xcviii-cxviii

Hugh deErth and His Descendants

(3) — twelve records

A Continuation of the Complete History of England:
Containing the Lives and Reigns of Edward I, II & III and Richard the Second 
by Robery Brady, 1627 — 1700
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/evc94t65
and
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/evc94t65/items?canvas=88
Book page: 78, Digital page: 88/636.

The Story of The Bonds of Earth
by Allen Kerr Bond
https://archive.org/details/storyofbondsofea00bond/mode/2up
Book page: 1-2, Digital page: 15-16/299.

Three mentions of Henry de Erth [in the]
Calendar of the Patent Rolls for Edward III A. D. 1334-1338:
Excerpt One: Membrane 39
Book page: 383, Digital page: 395/820, Located about halfway down the page. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011275826&view=1up&seq=395&skin=2021
Excerpt Two: Membrane 32
Book page: 382-393, Digital page: 405/820, Located near the bottom and at the top of the next page.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011275826&view=1up&seq=405&skin=2021
Excerpt Three: Membrane 6
Book page: 497, Digital page 509/820, Located near the bottom and at the top of the next page.
“Henry de Erth had been bestowed these lands for services rendered to John of Eltham, the Earl of Cornwall, and brother of Edward II.”

Many Mini Biographies
Bond Family History in England
by Rodney Bond
http://www.teachergenealogist007.com/2009/12/bond-256-257.html

Henry DeErth
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/84073441/person/32503277148/facts

Geoffrey DeErth
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/58654237/person/44036735936/facts

Knight Banneret
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_banneret

The Seige of Berwick (1333) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Berwick_(1333)
and for the illustration link:
File:Edouard III devant Berwick.jpg
Note: Here is the painting in its original context:
BnF Archives et Manuscrits, Français 2643 -2646
Chroniques sire JEHAN FROISSART ». Français 2643
Froissart, Jean (1337?-1410?). Auteur du texte
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84386043/f90#

BONDWORLD
Bond, Where Did You Come From?
(An interesting personal reflection of Bond family history by Peter Bond)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150515032419/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bondworld/page03.htm

Where on Earth was Erth?

(4) — six records

Carew’s Survey of Cornwall
by Richard Carew, of Antoine, Esq.
https://archive.org/details/surveycornwalla00caregoog/page/n250/mode/2up?view=theater
Book page: 111, Digital page: 251/377

The Parochial History of Cornwall, Vol. III
Founded on the manuscript histories of Mr. Hals and Mr. Tonkin, with
with additions and various appendices by Davies Gilbert, 1838
https://archive.org/details/parochialhistory03gilb/page/464/mode/2up
Book page: 465, Digital page: 464/470

The Battle Abbey Roll
by The Duchess of Cleveland
https://archive.org/details/battleabbeyrollw01battuoft/page/n5/mode/2up
Book page: 138, Digital page: 138/352

Magna Brittanica, Being a Concise Topographical Account
of the Several Counties of Great Britain, Volume The Third
by Rev. Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Esq., 1814
https://archive.org/details/magnabrittanicab03lyso/page/n7/mode/2up
Book page: 290, Digital page: 291/360
Book page: C, Digital page: 124/780
Book page: cxxxii, Digital page: 156/780

Our Erth Ancestors

(5) — seven records

An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall: to which is added, a complete heraldry, by C. S. Gilbert, 1817 (This edition contained heraldry bookplates.)
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/g68eerr8/items?canvas=9
Note 1: Book page: 30, Digital page: 30/441, for the Bond family reference.
Note 2: For five Coat of Arms, as follows:
– Bond Coat of Arms, Plate VI (6)
– De Erth Coat of Arms, Plate XIII (13)
– Coryton Coat of Arms, Plate VI (6)
– Kendall Coat of Arms, Plate XV (15)
– Maynard Coat of Arms, Plate XVII (17)
Note 3: The Maynard family coat of arms (as demonstrated in Gilbert’s book),
may be a localized Cornwall variation. Excerpted from the Description found in this file: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maynard_%28of_Easton,_Essex%29_Arms.svg , as follows:
Maynard Baronets, Baron Maynard, Viscount Maynard. Descended from Maynard of Sherford in the parish of Brixton, Devon (as is stated on monument to Sir Henty Maynard (d.1610).
The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds’ Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.561); Sherford located in parish of Brixton per Risdon, Tristram, Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.392.

IntoCornwall.com
Cornwall History Timeline
https://www.intocornwall.com/features/cornwall-history-timeline.asp

Robert of Penryn Bond
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/50985043/person/27101647611/facts

Thomas Bond
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175760445/thomas-bond
Elizabeth Kendall Bond
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175760509/elizabeth_bond
Note: For burial references at St. Stephen Churchyard, Saltash, Cornwall.

The Story of The Bonds of Earth
by Allen Kerr Bond
https://archive.org/details/storyofbondsofea00bond/mode/2up
Book page: 37-47, Digital page: 36-46/299

Erth Barton

(6) — two records

Heritage Gateway
Historic England Research Records
Earth Barton
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=436604&resourceID=19191
Note: For ownership details

The present day country manor bed and breakfast: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g209971-d310884-Reviews-Erth_Barton-Saltash_Cornwall_England.html

Quite Quintessentially QuethiockeOur Holwood Ancestors

(7) – ten records

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is bannisterss-glossary-.jpg

A Glossary of Cornish Names
by John Bannister, 1871
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo1.ark:/13960/t2s477p68&view=2up&seq=160

GENUKI, UK and Ireland Genealogy
Quethiock
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CON/Quethiock

Geni
William Bond, of Holewood
https://www.geni.com/people/William-Bond-of-Holewood/6000000174135300843

An Illustrated Postal Directory, Twenty Parishes in East Cornwall, page 125, circa 1901.

An Illustrated Postal Directory, Twenty Parishes in East Cornwall
for The New Century
by Venning and Birkbeck, third edition 1901
Book page: 228, Digital page: 228/280, for “Holwood or Holloughwood”
https://archive.org/details/illustratedposta00venn/page/n33/mode/2up?view=theater

Gilbert’s An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, 1820 edition, title page.

An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall:
To Which Is Added, A Complete Heraldry
by C. S. Gilbert, 1820
https://archive.org/details/b2201195x_0002/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater Book page: Frontispiece, Digital page: 8/1082
and here:
https://wellcomecollection.org/works/g68eerr8/items?canvas=9
Note: For both versions, this edition did NOT contain heraldry bookplates.

Magna Brittanica, Being a Concise Topographical Account
of the Several Counties of Great Britain, Volume The Third
by Rev. Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Esq., 1814
Holloughwood, or Holwood Manor
Book page: 274 (bottom) — 275 (top), Digital page: 274-275/361, for
https://archive.org/details/magnabrittanicab03lyso/page/274/mode/2up

BHO | British History Online
Parishes: Quethiock – Ruan Minor
Quethiock, or Quithiock
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol3/pp274-280

The Richard Bond Family in America
by Rev. Thomas A. Bond, Abbey of the Genesee, 1981
Microfilmed by the Genealogical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 9, 1986
(Item 14, Project and Roll XLIB 7-102 2017, G.S. Call 1321093)

Richard Bond and desendents [sic]
https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/10403921/person/6979535919/media/5f0ecfd9-3dd2-4c1a-a1ab-bfb0e84b19f6?_phsrc=qGQ3868&_phstart=successSource

IntoCornwall.com
Cornwall History Timeline
https://www.intocornwall.com/features/cornwall-history-timeline.asp

The Ancient Bonds of Erth — One, Family Heraldry

This is Chapter One of seven: Please start here — everything will be explained in due time. We’re not in a rush.

Introduction: Hollywood Has Really Messed Things Up

If you think about classic movies like The Adventures of Robin Hood, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail, viewers have the sanitized impression that the Middle Ages were a lot of fun and games, hither ‘n yon, etc., but of course… we all know that just wasn’t true.

There were a lot of wars, people were stressed out, dry cleaners didn’t exist, and worst of all (!), there was no Tylenol available for those tension headaches after a night of drinking too much “mulled wine”. But our ancestors, resourceful as they were, somehow pulled through. We know, we’ve got their genes.

The costume designer obviously had a “bedazzled” phase with that Pegasus motif.

At some point, our ancestors switched from eating like this:

We still eat like this —especially when we get a bucket of Extra Crispy at KFC.

To eating like this:

I wonder what type of family crest they had at Downton Abbey?

Surely, we jest? But there is signifigance in what a Pegasus heraldry symbol meant to the other troops, and what the finally laid table of an upperclass British family meant to the villagers: there was always an audience looking on.

When it comes to the ancient deErth family and the ancient Bond family, we had heraldry for a purpose. Let us explain. (1)

Let’s Pause for a Moment to Look at Symbolic Thinking

We all know what these symbols mean, right? Creating and adding meaning to symbols is a uniquely human trait. As such, symbolic thinking is a feature which sets us apart from all other thinking creatures.

In the pre-literate world, symbols became very important, because once learned, they guided people to understand with whom, or what, they were dealing with. To an extant, that is still true today, especially with sports, commerce, and religion.

Heraldry originated when most people were illiterate, but could easily recognize a bold, striking, and simple design. I guess you could call it an early form of social media, with the court heralds being influencers.

What is a Coat of Arms?

Words used to describe symbols like these, are called “blazons”.

How did a coat of arms get started? The first coat of arms was used to distinguish one knight from another. When a knight had on his full armor, including plate mail and helmet, even his friends couldn’t recognize him. Because of this, knights began to paint symbols on their shields. The symbols on a coat of arms were meant to represent the achievements of the person, manor, or state, to whom the arms were granted. They eventually began to put the symbol on their banner and the cloth surcoat they wore over their armor. This is how it got the name coat of arms

To use and legally bear a coat of arms, a person had to be granted the honor by a ruling monarch. The laws and rules regarding the right to use them, and if they could be passed on varied greatly by region, ruler, and country. In England and Scotland, the individual granted the coat of arms was the only one who could use it and display it. It wasn’t until King Richard I, in the 13th century, that a coat of arms became hereditary.

Coat of Arms for the DeErth and Bonds of Erth Families

Ancient heraldry for the deErth family. The only design which was evident within the Bond family following the deErth family’s “three deer heads” of Erth. The subsequent black chevron with three gold bezants (coins), is the registered and recognized Bonds of Erth heraldry.

Arms of Bond of Erth Barton, near Saltash, Cornwall. Courtesy of wikipedia.com

At first glance, we thought that this coat of arms was just a little bit plain jane. Then we came to realize that this is what authenticity looks like.

What Did the Colors Mean?

The colors in heraldry are called tinctures. Old French words were used to describe the colors of the background, which came to have different meanings. Red (gules) was the color of a warrior and nobility, blue (azure) for truth and sincerity, black (sable) for piety and knowledge, and green (vert) for hope and joy. Presently, English heraldry has seven colors (tinctures) including two metals (gold, silver) and five colors (blue, red, purple, black, green).

  • Estucheon, the shape of the shield
  • Helm, the top center of this shape, where future generations might add elements to represent their individual family.
  • Charge, the main picture in the center of the coat of arms. In our family, we had a black Chevron, that is the pointed shape on the estucheon.
  • Ordinaries, designs that appeared on the field. In our family, we had Bezants, these are the three gold coins diplayed on the black chevron. This motif is derived from Richard, the Earl of Cornwall.

What is a Family Crest?

Everyone gets confused and uses these coat of arms and family crest interchangeably. They are not the same. The crest is the helm (top portion) of the coat of arms and is actually part of the overall coat of arms design. The crest is an identifier for what the person (who was originally granted the coat of arms) did, in order to receive the honor. Some families have used it as a logo, without the full arms beneath it.

In the Introduction we wrote about how different eating styles have evolved over time. Family crests evolved for the fortunate few to to use to mark their property. For example, if your Family Shield was too complex to recreate at a small scale, a family crest would be used. Perfect for stamping on the silverware to show your pedigree!

Courtesy of http://www.martyndowner.com

The Heralds Were Busy Bureaucrats

It became the job of people called heralds to keep track of the different coats of arms. They made sure that new coats of arms were unique. They also kept track of to whom each coat of arms belonged. 

From Britannica: “In the second half of the 12th century the men who supervised festivities and delivered invitations to guests were often the same minstrels who, after tournaments and battles, extolled [sang the praises of] the virtues and deeds of the victors. Heralds can be identified in the descriptions of tournaments from about 1170. The duties of minstrels and messengers appear then to have merged, and, as the minstrels recounted the deeds and virtues of their masters and their masters’ ancestors, their interest in genealogy developed. That new skill was related to their tournament duties, which included the necessity to recognize the banners and shields of all those invited to attend.” In other words, somebody had to keep things sorted out.

Pictures of heralds from H. Ströhl’s Heraldischer Atlas

By the 12th century, the use of the coat of arms had become much more common, and in the 13th-century family use of the coat of arms became common as the symbols had been passed down from ancestors in the previous centuries. Usually, the oldest son would often inherit the coat of arms from his father without any changes, while younger brothers often added symbols to make theirs unique. When a woman married, the coat of arms of her family was often added to her husband’s arms, called marshaling.

As families grew, the shield of the coat of arms was sometimes divided into different parts (e.g. quartered) to represent the merging of families (although this is not the only reason a shield might be divided). Even still, families would have to alter the coat of arms enough to distinguish it from prior generations. This is where it would become a family coat of arms, the symbol for the family, instead of the symbol for an individual.

Even though this map by John Speed, dates from 1611, one can see that there was still a lot of heraldry going on. (Image courtesy of http://www.caitlingreen.org).

Cornish heraldry generally conformed with the rules and customs of English heraldry… however, the use of arms was far more widespread amongst the Cornish than the English and there was far less control over the use of heraldry. The writer Richard Carew wrote in the early 17th century, “The Cornish appear to change and diversify their arms at pleasure… The most Cornish gentlemen can better vaunt of their pedigree than their livelihood for that they derive from great antiquity, and I make question whether any shire in England of but equal quantitie can muster a like number of faire coate-armours”. Even back then, Carew was sniffing out the socially ambitious families.

This is why you will see several coat of arms for one surname or family, that can look only slightly different, or can look entirely different from each other.

Our cousins, the Bonds of Grange — their coat of arms

Notice in the above example of heraldry for The Bonds of Grange from A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I. The Coat of Arms for that particular family has been marshalled (four quadrents) and elements have been added to the top (the helm). If you look carefully, you can still see the chevron with the three bezants.

From The Story of The Bonds of Earth, by Allen Kerr Bond, Pegasus Press, 1930.

Notice in the example above how the Bond Coat of Arms has gotten a lot more decorated. There’s even a catchy motto added. This phrase is frequently translated from Latin as: The World Does Not Suffice, or The World Is Not Enough.

As the Bond family married, immigrated, and went on with their lives, it once again became fashionable (rather than a basic necessity) to have a family coat of arms. The trouble is, there were so many Bond families, and not a lot of widespread scholarship to support what designs went forward. There were no more heralds to manage who-really-was-who.

Even George Lazenby, in his only film as James Bond, got in on the act.

Still from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

As we all know, James Bond always prevailed in his fight of good-versus-evil. Even with that modern, exuberant coat of arms. That’s why we love him. (2)

Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials,
Notes, and Observations

Introduction: Hollywood Has Really Messed Things Up

(1) — two records

The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938
http://deepfocusreview.com/definitives/the-adventures-of-robin-hood/

TV Series Finale
Downton Abbey: Crewmembers Recall the Final Season’s Big Dinner Table Scene
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/downton-abbey-crewmembers-recall-final-seasons-big-dinner-table-scene/

(2) — nine records

For these six Sections listed below, all records are adapted from the links that follow:

Let’s Pause for a Moment to Look at Symbolic Thinking
What is a Coat of Arms?
Coat of Arms for the DeErth and Bonds of Erth Families
What Did the Colors Mean?
What is a Family Crest?
The Heralds Were Busy Bureaucrats

Britannica
Heraldry
https://www.britannica.com/topic/heraldry

A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners
of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. I
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48501/images/CommGBIrelandI-005335-243?pId=368839&lang=en-US
Book page: 243, Digital page: 306/787
– Bond (ancient) — A fess or. [a horizontal belt of honor]
– Bond, of Cornwall — Arg. on a chevron sa. Three bezants

The Gene Genie
Coat of Arms and Crests, What’s The Difference?https://thegenegenieblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/coat-of-arms-and-crests-whats-the-difference/

Cornish Heraldry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_heraldry

An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall:
To Which is Added, a Complete Heraldry
by C. S. Gilbert, 1817 edition. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/g68eerr8/items?canvas=9
Note 1: Bond family reference — See book page 30, Digital page: 30/441.
Note 2: Bond Boat of Arms, Plate VI (6), DeErth Coat of Arms, Plate XIII, (13)

The Heraldry Society
The Emergence of the Heraldic Phrase in the Thirteenth Century https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/the-emergence-of-the-heraldic-phrase-in-the-thirteenth-century/

Ducksters
Middle Ages, A Knight’s Coat of Arms https://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/knight_coat_of_arms.php

Heraldischer Atlas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldischer_Atlas

Film still from: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/dt1imx/on_her_majestys_secret_service_james_bonds_family/

George Lazenby as James Bond 007.
(Image courtesy of http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com).