The Visitation Of London for the year 1633 includes an entry for David Murehead of Lawchope. The entry would refer to the matriculation of arms granted to another individual prior to David in view of the fact that it stated the arms belonged "to the surname of Mureheade of Lawchope...of quohme [i.e. whom] is discendit Dauid Murehead Esq. by a second brother of the said family...".
The full entry reads as follows:
| This is the auntient Coate Armore belonging to the surname of Mureheade of Lawchope within the Shriffdome of Clydsdayll in the Kingdome of Scotland of quohme is discendit Dauid Murehead Esq. by a second brother of the said family quho beares Argent on a bend Dexster azur 3 Aceorns or as is set forth in the originall vnder the hand & seale of Sr James Balfour of Kynairds Lyone King of Armes of Scotland. |
The arms of David Murehead of Lawchope ca 1633 were blazoned:
Argent on a bend dexter azure three acorns or
The following illustration is of the arms as blazoned. (This illustration comes from The Hall Of Names Inc.)
Although the above is an accurate illustration of the arms, per the blazon, the following illustration is the one which was included with the above information in the published version of the Visitation of 1633. It should be noted that this illustration does not accurately match the blazon. It should include the additional information of: with a crescent moon in chief proper if it were to be accurate. (As will be seen in the page devoted to the arms of James Murehead of Lawchope, this illustration might have been incorrectly applied to the arms of David in the published Visitation of 1633, and rather should be applied to James.)
It should be noted that the arms of Mureheide of Lauchope ca 1542 did not consist of three acorns but rather a mullet (i.e. a five pointed star) between two acorns. This blazon was the first to be noted with the charges of three acorns. It may or may not have been an intentional alteration of the more ancient arms despite the fact that the description refers to the "auntient Coate Armore belonging to the surname of Mureheade of Lawchope". It may have been a means to difference this blazon from that of the ancestor.
The genealogy of the armiger, David Murehead, was given in the Visitation as follows:
David Murehead of Lawchope wthin the Shriffdome of Clidsdayll in the Kingdome of Scotland == David Murehead of ... within the Shriffdome of Gallway 2 sonne == Grissell da. of ... Machallo of Barholme Dauid M. of London now living anno 1634 eldt son == Anne da. of Jacob Hardright of London David Murehead eldt son 1 Anne 2 Jane |
Please note: The images used for the graphics on this page
were derived from the book, A Display Of Heraldry,
by John Guillim, printed in London in the year 1679.