Harve's Insignia

Harve's Insignia

While going through photos that I had taken at the ranch, after my Grandmothers passing, I came across a plate with a family insignia on it.  It is not a very good photo but it started me thinking about how this insignia could help me, in tracking our Butler family origins.  Then I found another crest at the base of a  four piece cabinet, that my Great Grandfather, Harve had placed the crest onto.  The two crests vary slightly but I am going to go with the older one  (Harve's) as the truer of the two.

When I went onto the net to find out more about our Family Crest, , I found a great many more variations on this Insiginia but all of them have some basic things in common.  I believe it is in these differences that I will find out more about from which branch of the Butler line we descend.

My Grandmother did a lot of ceramic work, so it is possible that she made this plate and found the crest to put on it.  Notice that the bird on the top of the plumes, on top of the crown, is in tact here.  We were so rushed to get and carry as much as we could that this was left behind, so I am not able to look and see whether or not my Grandmother's initials are on the back.

This is the base of the cabinet that sat in my Grandparent's living room, every since I can remember.  It came from her father Harve Butler. As you can see, and heaven knows why he did this this way, but he cut out a part of the cabinet, on which to place the Crest.

What do you do when you realize that the crest is too big for the place you are gong to put it on?  Answer;  squeeze it together.  The crest on the left here has a space between the crown and the wreath, this is where Harve tried to close the gap, but  I can still  see a very small bit of red indicating the wrea, (or torse) th is the same as the one on the right but not the same as the one my Grandmother had on the plate.

As you can see, the banner is empty here but not on the plate crest. and not on the crest on the right.  Banners are used to hold mottos not family names.  Again, Harve cuts out and places the name piece in the banner, as it could not fit on the piece of wood, the way it was meant to.

Comme Je Trouve ~ As I find it