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Robert Allen Hardin


Registration number 20060114B


This certifies that the heraldic arms of Robert Allen Hardin are registered as an original design and are described by the blazon below

Arms: Per pale Argent and Gules a lion passant counterchanged armed and langued Or, in chief a star between two fleurs-de-lis and in base another fleur-de-lis, all counterchanged.
Crest: Issuing from a wreath of the colors a demi-angel to dexter proper winged and robed Argent brandishing in her dexter hand a wavy sword enflamed Gules the pommel charged with a cross Or and with her sinister hand making the sign of the benediction.
Motto: Courage sans peur.


Design rationale

I wanted to follow the French tradition of applying arms to all of my immediate family, so I chose elements that were relevant to our history. The protestant half of the Hard(ou)in family immigrated from Rouen, Normandy to England and then Canada (and eventually northern Virginia and Kentucky) to escape religious persecution after the St. Bartholomew Massacre. The lion passant is an allusion to Normandy and the star above it is a depiction of God's guidance in leading us from oppression in France to freedom in America (the French King would not let protestants come to the colony, we had to flee to England to get here). The lion also represents a warrior quality, the majority of my ancestors are military officers. The fleurs-de-lis are a pretty obvious allusion to our French ancestry, but also to the central and northern Kentucky frontier region.

The crest is personal, as I expect that to change among the individuals in my family. I chose, with the help of heraldist Laurent Granier of Lyon, France a very typical Norman association--St. Michael. In Laurent's painting and blazon, he holds his flaming sword aloft in one arm and with the other hand makes the sign of the benediction. Laurent was very clever here and expressive, describing what I feel are the chief qualities of my family. The motto is also a personal matter and shouldn't be considered set in stone; I currently use the French phrase for "courage without fear".

These symbols also have personal meaning for me, individually, but I think my biography should be separate from them as I wish for them to have relevance to my family foremost.

Registered by

Armiger

Categories

Personal, Original, US, H

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