Soper Coats of Arms
Arms of William Soper (c1390’s–1459) Mayor of Southampton. His coat of arms was; ‘Sable, a chevron between three wings argent’. (a black 'V' with 3 white wings) : see his biog No background colour given (I guess the background might be sable, rather than the chevron). It seems that 'wings' come in various flavours, so more information would be needed to reconstruct it accurately, but here's a guess using 'sinister' wings.
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Arms of John Soper (?-1558) of Codryngton, Glos, & a tenant at Broadway Manor, Somerset, his arms (impaled with those of the elder Codrington family) in chapel of Codrington Court where he died 1558 : see what's known of biog
: "The coat is arg. on a fess gules between three phials or bottles (of no remaining colour; described 1898), three mullets or, impaling arg. a fess embattled, counterembattled sable, fretty — between three lions gules. The colour of the fret is gone" [argent=silver/white; fess gules=bar of red; phailes=bottles; mullets or=5 point star of gold --- My guess of this arms on right] "Different to other Soper arms, so perhaps the last of his family to use it?" from genesurfing & genesurfing
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This colour picture of arms was produced, from clip art, by
, May 2001
These are the arms issued to John Soper (c1680-1729) above (click for larger picture try 'Print Preview' if too large on the screen) |
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Another version (the same as above)
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Yet another version (the same as above) Motos only became fashionable with arms at later date Mantling (floral stuff from the helmet, once an anti-sun cloth, to reduce cooking of owner's head), their colour often taken from the shield. The shield is black & white but as any colour can be used, here it's yellow, but red & green also used on this page. (The design is also up to the artist, this design is called 'Acacia'). Helmets often also up to the artist, this one is 'Protector' but 'Jouster' used on top picture (visor down=gentleman) | |
Yet another version (the same as above) from englishgathering.co.uk | |
from ‘Burke’s General Armory’
Shield: 12 billets sable, engrailed St Andrew’s cross (saltire)
(Clive Soper [see above] has a copy of this book) (click for larger picture try 'Print Preview' if too large on the screen) |
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Arms of John Soper (c1680-1729) of Preston Candover, Hampshire. The arms at the top are carved into his memorial & are the same as above
His coat of arms is described by Brig-Gen Hope as;
These arms are placed above John & Patience Soper’s 1729 memorial [click photo] in the old church of Preston Candover (Next to the small manor he bought. As a property owner he gained the rank of Gentleman [Esq.], so allowed arms). They are just visible on the left half of this shield The right half of the photo is the Jackson arms, with 3 eagle heads, from his wife, Patience, Patience's memorial is to the left of John's with it's helmet crest of a black eagle. (Patience's shield is photoed here. John's has Soper on right & Jackson left) | |
These arms from marriage of Elizabeth Soper (dau & co-heir of Nicholas Soper of Southmondam, Sussex) to Thomas Vuedall (?-1558/9) of Hameldon, Hants, (son of Thomas). They had son Anthony Uvedale of Hameldon. Top right (& left?) Uvedale; top left lower left Sydney; lower left Soper [Thomas's brother Sir William Vuedall of Wickham m.Agnes Sidney of Sussex] source p.47 'Pedigrees from the visitation of Hampshire' no www mention of 'Southmondam'; only one mention of 'South Mondam' (an 1868 birth, parents of Boxgrove, Sx, 2m NE Chichester, so speculate 'South Mundham' 3m SE Chichester?) | |
George Soaper (c1774-1848) m.Mary Branson 9 Oct 1806 St Faith, Havant, Hants A solicitor of Surrey; He was a book collector & historial & private book publisher. He stamped his armorial bookplate, with motto "Esse quam videri" ['To be, rather than to seem' wiki] on his book collection It seems to copy the demi-lion rampant above, without the billet George Soper Catalogue of book plates p.58. He had 2 engravings; nr.27558 Crest & nr.27558 Crest in a garter | |
William Garland Soper (1837-1908) esq, JP, County Councillor for Surrey. His seat; Harestone, Caterham, Surrey
: see his biog
Armorial bearings - Per pale or & gules, on a saltire between sixteen billets, a trefoil slipped all counter-changed ; & impaling the arms of David, namely argent a lion rampant regardant pean between 4 mullets of 6 points in cross azure.
Translation - (per pale=shield divided in two verticaly-wife on the right) (or=yellow) (red=gules) (trefoil slipped=a clover shape with stem) (counter-changed=colours alternate across shield) (impaling the arms=2 arms on one shield, split verticaly) (Mantling: red & yellow draping from the helmet) Crest for WGS's arms; Blazon [description]; a demi-lion per pale or [yellow] and gu. [gules, red], holding in the mouth a trefoil [clover shape] slipped vert [green], and supporting a torch erect fired ppr.; from Fairbairn's Book of Crests, pub.1905 crest of William Garland Soper, esq of Hareston, Caterham, Sy* [image right] source Similar to above with 16 instead of 12 billets, but in red & gold instead of Black & white. The reference to Davis refers to his 1860 marriage to Maria Davis of Cheshunt. He carved both of their arms inside his house in Caterham. Wife; Maria Davis's Arms, dau of George Davis of Wilderness, nr.Hastings, Sx, "Ar a lion ramp reguard. pean betw 4 mullets of 6 points cross ar" Crest-a demi lion per pale or and gu. holding in the mouth a trefoil slipped vert and supporting a torch erect fired ppr The General Armory; googlebooks pub.1864 (& pub.2009) They share arms, but no family connection between William Garland Soper (who's family came from Devon) & John Soper of Preston Candover (family from Hampshire from 1500's) | |
Soper of Cumberland : ['Cumberland' seems very odd, as appe ars there are effectively no Sopers ever recorded in this county]
John Soper, Cumberland, V. Soper, Cumberland. Gu. ? saltire vair betw. twelve billete. Snippet from Dictionary of Coats of Arms pub1874 p1068
Arms for Soper of Cumberland; Argent [white], a saltire engrailed between 12 billets sable [as top picture] These arms topped with 3 alternative crests [The shield is topped with a helmet with the crest on top] Crest for Soper of Cumberland; Blazon [description]; a demi-lion rampant, holding between the paws a billet, all Sa. [black]; from Fairbairn's Book of Crests, pub.1905* : [crest image right]
[The John Soper (c1680-1729) of Hampshire who used the arms at the top of page, certainly had no relationship with Cumberland, so if 'Cumberland' is not a mistake, he may have been given a previously used arms? No date offered for these arms] | |
Soper [No county given and no person yet found who paid for them] from The British Herald
Same shield [as top picture], but with other crests (above the helmet) Crest 2 - a demi cupid holding a hymenial torch all proper - - [cupid=naked winged boy with bow & quiver : demi=side view : proper=in natural colours : hymeneal torch=flaming torch bound with ribbons; named after Hymen, Greek god of marriage; so was this a wife's crest?] from Fairbairn's Book of Crests, pub.1905* : *Fairbairn's book of crests; scan of book | |
Sopery of Nottingham : General Armory of England
Azzure a cross or, fretty gules. [Azure=blue : or=gold : gules=red : fretty=trellised - perhaps looking like this?]. [Connection? 2 places called Sopery in Cumberland. a Sopery Bridge, Ulverston (1829) & Sopey Workington (1847). Also a Sopery, in Preston Lancs] | |
Soapmakers Company incorporated London 1638 [Created 1606]
Azure a dolphin naiant between three eel-spears or. [Naiant=swimming to left] Crest : A mount vert, thereon a tree ppr. entitled with a ducal coronet or. : General Armory of England | |
This version is from www.houseofnames.com. If this is correct, there must have been yet another Soper, who commissioned arms The shield is the same engrailed St Andrew’s cross (saltire) as above but with only 9 billets on the cross | |
An icon file of the arms | |
George Soper Dempster (1804-89) His seal, Dempster arms (the plain undifferenced arms) impaling Dundas of Arniston. He'd no right to the plain Dempster arms, being son of illegitimate dau of Capt John Hamilton Dempster of Skibo see biog
Harriett Dempster of Dunnichen & Skibo, Scotland (1786-1810) m.1801 William Soper esq
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Notes:
‘sable’ = the colour black
'argent' = silver, normally shown as white
'gu/gules' = red
'or' = gold or yellow
'vert' = green
'proper'=in natural colours
'blazon' = just means description
'a billet' = a rectangle (1x2 squares) supposed to represent paper folded into a letter
'a satire' = a diagonal cross
'cupid' = naked winged boy with bow & quiver :
'demi' = side view :
'hymeneal torch'=flaming torch bound with ribbons; named after Hymen, Greek god of marriage
a chevron = a rafter shape
'engrailed' = [I believe] an edge like that of a postage stamp
'impaling' after marriage the shield is split verticaly. The wife's arms are placed in the right half
'trefoil' = a shamrock) shape source [can indicate English families in Ireland]
'mantling' = (floral stuff from the helmet, once an anti-sun cloth, to reduce cooking of owner's head)
Translation:
Argent = Peace / Sincerity
Sable = Constancy / Grief
Billets = Truth / Justice / Wisdom / Firmness
(Seems that ego massaging was part of the package when you bought your arms. What colours were used for insincere & unreliable knights?)
What appears to be a coat of arms is engraved on a double barrel, muzzle loading shot gun engraved with maker's name of J Soper, Reading, [1820-30's?]. It had "..crossed swords and a shield with what looks like a crown above.." www.shotgunworld.com
It seems, arms are normally only be transfered to male decendants of the arimiger (the bearer of arms). Neither Soper left families, so no direct line seems to exist. William Soper (c1390's-c1459) left no children & John Soper (c1680-1729) left only 3 daughters.
Amateur Heralds gives general information on arms.
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