The following is from
Henry Duke Councilor, His Descendants & Connections
 by Walter Garland Duke

Arms were granted in very many instances for some deeds of merit or important event in the family history, though not always made a matter of record.

The chevron is claimed by some authorities as derived from the highest peak of the ancient saddle of the warrior, and by others it is supposed to simulate the gable of a house or the peak of a tent, but whatever the origin it is generally accepted as indicative of leadership and is still used in modern military insignia as a mark of rank or authority.

As to the three birds with which the shield is charged, it is not definitely known what birds they represent. Various birds are vested with different attributes. In shape they somewhat represent the raven or Cornish chough. While these in nature are sable in color, no doubt they are portrayed in silver, as it would not be permissible in English Heraldry to charge sable upon an azure field. The beak and claws being gules would carry out this supposition, as this is a distinguishing feature of the Cornish chough, much used in heraldry, and esteemed a "sentinel" of birds and symbolical of vigilance.

The sword in the crest would point to military prominence. This seems to correspond with the chevron of the shield. As to the ostrich feathers, plumes are said to have been used by King Stephen of England with the motto "No force alters their fashion," alluding to the fall of the feathers which cannot be shaken into disorder by the wind, and intimating that the wearer's integrity could not be shaken by the winds of adversity. This seems quite in keeping with the motto, "In adversis idem."

Ancient heralds, in describing arms of the nobility, used names of the planets or precious stones, while certain modern writers claim certain attributes for the various tinctures, thus:

Webmaster's Additional Notes

The helm (helmet) on a coat of arms is used to indicate rank. The heraldic helmet above the shield on the above Duke family arms indicates the arms of a peer (i.e., duke, marquess, earl, viscount or baron). Helmets used on the arms for the nobility were of steel, with five bars of gold, shown somewhat in profile.

The color azure on the Duke coat of arms represents truth and loyalty. The sword above the helmet represents justice and honor. The chevron on a coat of arms was awarded to those who had achieved a notable enterprise.

Armorial bearings are hereditary. They can be borne and used by all the descendants in the legitimate male line of the person to whom they were originally granted or confirmed. To establish a right to arms by inheritance it is necessary to prove a descent from an ancestor who is already recorded as entitled to arms in the registers of the College of Arms. A woman may bear arms by inheritance from her father or by grant to herself. She may not use a crest, which is considered a male attribute. See the College of Arms for information on proving a right to arms by descent.