Abatements of Honour

[Chris Green]

The Lexicon Technicum, the work of John Harris in the first decade of the 18th century, has a curious entry purporting to describe abatements of honour - the opposite of augmentations of honour. Here is a link:
http://books.google.se/books?id=0GdEAAA ... ry&f=false
and a Wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexicon_Technicum

It seems inconceivable to me that such a system ever existed in England, or anywhere else for that matter. No herald could on his own responsibility successfully impose such an insult on the CoA of any gentleman (let alone a Peer) without being dragged through the Courts. A Court of Chivalry might impose such a penalty I imagine, but no armiger having such a slight added to his CoA would conceivably use it, so what is the point? And would not new Letters Patent have to be issued with the new blazon? What do you imagine the recipient would do with such a document - my guess is cut it up and issue it to his less-favoured servants as loo paper.

[J Duncan of Sketraw]

Thanks Chris, I have just had a glance through it so far but, looks like an interesting read. Thanks for posting the link :