ISTED Coat of Arms

By Bruce Isted

Background History

It was about the time of the Heralds’ Visitation of Sussex in 1634, that the “Arms of ISTED” was officially confirmed. There is no record at the College of Arms in London stating when and to whom it was originally granted, but it was in existence at the time of Richard ISTED, gent of Framfield & Lewes (born 1605 Framfield son of Thomas and Elizabeth ISTED nee TWINE/TWYNE). Richard married Anne GOODWIN/GOODWYN 1631 Dorking, Surrey ; he died 1654 Lewes , Sussex . Only the descendants of this branch of ISTEDs are officially entitled to display the arms as their own.

Description

ISTED Arms:

Gules a chevron vair between three talbots’ heads erased Or

(A red division occupying one third of the shield with a heraldic fur between three severed, gold talbots’ heads.)

‘Gules’ is the background colour of the shield that signifies the virtues of love, charity and courage; it denotes valour, patriotism and creative power.

‘Chevron’ is one of the Honorable Ordinaries, signifies protection, and is said to have been granted in Arms to one who had achieved some notable enterprise, had built churches or fortresses, or accomplished some work of faithful service.

‘Vair’ is one of the heraldic furs and is represented as rows of bell-like shapes, alternatively blue & white - “dignity”.

‘Talbots’ are hound dogs which signifies courage, vigilance and loyal fidelity. These dogs were used in hunting and one can assume the ISTEDs actively followed this sport. The talbot is now an extinct breed of dog.

ISTED Crest:

A buck’s head erased proper, attired and ducally gorged by a crest coronet Or

(A severed buck’s head in its natural colour, with horns of a deer and wearing a collar and small gold crown.)

ISTED Motto:

Nosce Teipsum

(Know Thyself)

The heraldic insignia and tinctures (colours) can more clearly be seen on the below modern artistic interpretation of the ISTED Coat of Arms.

There is a marble memorial to the memory of Samuel ISTED, died 1745, (picture below) in the old parish church of All Saints, Lewes, Sussex (now an arts and youth centre) which features the ISTED Coat of Arms. (NB Samuel baptised 1675, London, son of Samuel/Elizabeth ISTED nee LUCAS. He was a grandson of Richard ISTED/Anne GOODWIN who married 1631 Dorking, Surrey).

There is also a sundial (photograph below) mounted just below the eaves on the front of Dial House, High Street, Lewes, which has the ISTED motto engraved upon it. Members of the OLIVER family lived there during the 1600s and one of them married into the ISTED family.

References:

The Visitation of Sussex in 1634 [C27.150], College of Arms, London

The Visitation of Sussex in 1662 [D16.19 page 63*], College of Arms, London

Burke's Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2 (1837) page 462 & 463

Photographs: By Bruce Isted, taken in 1988 during a visit to Lewes, Sussex