But for a slightly blurred photo slide of a framed coat-of arms in the possession of my great-aunts in the late 1960s the existence of these arms might have been forgotten. Christopher Vane, recently-retired from the office of ‘Chester Herald’ at the College of Arms in London, was able to uncover the story behind this picture.
The archives of the College of Arms record that these ‘honorary arms’ were granted to Marion Louise (Louie) Moxham of Ramsey, New Jersey, on 5th March 1963. They were ‘honorary’ because she was a US citizen, but could document her descent from a subject of the Crown, specifically as “the daughter of John Moxham, Gentleman deceased, who was born in Rathsallagh, County Longford, Ireland in or about 1843 and who later lived in the United States of America”. Honorary arms to a US citizen required the consent of the three offices of Garter King of Arms, Clarenceux King of Arms and Norroy & Ulster King of Arms, with Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter King of Arms, acting on Louie’s behalf. Unusually, the arms were granted to the grantee and the descendants of her father, ‘according to the Laws of Arms’, meaning that the official right to use these arms extends to all direct descendants of John Moxham (1843-1922) through a legitimate male line. Shortly after the arms were initially granted an ‘Addition to Record’ stated: “John Moxham. Born 15 Feb 1843 at Rathsallagh, Co. Longford, Ireland. Married 26 Feb 1884 at Almoritia, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, Marianne, daur of Francis Small of Almoritia. They had, with other issue, a son:- John Moxham. Born 30 June 1895 at Killenboy, Co. Longford, Ireland, and living there 1963”.
One interesting aside in these records is the reference to the elder John Moxham having “lived in the United States of America”. This was something vaguely alluded to by my father many years ago – a story that John Moxham had emigrated and spent some time in the USA before being summoned back to take over the failing family farm in Killenboy (presumably prior to his marriage in Ireland in 1884). Clearly, Louie was more certain about the accuracy this story, but I have so far found no records of his travelling in either direction or of his living in the USA during this period.
The grant included the ‘blazon’, or verbal description of the arms, which can be interpreted as a matter of artistic licence. The description was “Vert a Fleur de Lis Or in chief two Sedge Warblers proper and the crest On a wreath Or and Gules A Fox Hound’s head and neck proper within Park palings Argent” – in layman’s terms, a green background, gold fleur-de-lis, two ‘sedge warbler’ birds in their natural colours, a wreath of gold and red, the head and neck of a foxhound in its natural colours within silver railings. Unfortunately, the significance of the design requested by Louie is not recorded. The fleur-de-lis probably refers to a popular but discredited theory that the family name had French Huguenot origins, while the sedge warblers and foxhound may have been of personal relevance to her upbringing in Killenboy. Louie and her brother Frank visited Ireland in March 1963, just a few weeks after the grant, and no doubt the return to her childhood home played some part in her decision to apply for the coat of arms. The imminent state visit to Ireland by President Kennedy was also at the forefront of their minds during their stay, and may have had some bearing on celebrating their Irish-American heritage. Whatever the motivation, the coat of arms have no practical use today but are a curiosity which hint at the personal values of a woman who led a very interesting life.
My thanks to Christopher Vane, whose research is quoted liberally here.