Ex dono Sidney Young Misterii Barbitonsorum fratris amandi 1885.
1451. In this year the original grant of arms was conferred, being simply the first quarter of our present achievement; sable, a chevron between three fleams argent, the fleams being mediæval lancets, though from their shape they have sometimes been thought to represent razors. This coat was borne by both the Barbers and their successors, the Barber-Surgeons, until the time of Elizabeth. The grant is as follows:—
Be it knowen to all men that y Clarensew Kyng of Armes of the South Marche of Englond Consideryng the noble estate of the Cite of London by the name of Erle & Barons as in their ffirst Charter by scripture appereth and as now called mayre and aldermen and by good avyce of all the aldermen and the noble citezenis of London that every alderman shuld have award by hymself to governe and rule to the Worship of the cite and the maires power evˀy alderman in his Ward with correccion of the mair beyng for the tyme and so notablie ordeyned to be custumed evˀy Craft clothing be hem self to know o Craft from a nother and also synes of Armes in baner wyse to beer conveniently for the worship of the reame and the noble cite and so now late the Maisters of Barbory and Surgery within the craft of Barbours John Strugge Thomas Wyllote Hugh Herte & Thomas Waleys come & praying me Clarensewe Kyng of Armes to devise hem a conysauns & syne in fourme of armes under my seall of myn Armes that might be conveniently to ther Craft. And where y Clarensewe Kyng of Armes consideryng the gode disposicion of them y have devysed a Conysaunce in fourme of Armes that is to sey A felde sabull a cheveron bytwene iij flemys of silver the which syne of armes y Clarensew gyve the same conysaunce of Armes to the forsaid Crafte and none other Crafte in no wyse shall not bere the same. To the which witenesse of this wrytyng y sette my seal of myn armes & my syne manuall wreten atte London the xxix day of the monthe of September the xxxth yere of the regne of oure soverayne lord Kyng Henry the Sixt.
By Claransew Kynge of armes.
1492. In this year a cognizance, or possibly an informal grant of arms, was given to the Surgeons’ Company; this is depicted on the first leaf in the beautiful old vellum book of Ordinances at the Hall, the inscription under, stating that it was given to the Craft of Surgeons of London in the year 1492, at the going over the sea into France of Henry VII. (See the fac-simile at [p. 68].)
No other authority than the above statement is known for this coat, but in the grant to the Barber-Surgeons (1569) it is recited that Henry VIII granted the Company of Surgeons a cognizance “which is a spatter thereon a rose gules crowned golde for their warrant in fielde but no authoritie by warrant for the bearinge of the same in shilde as armes.” The Herald in drawing the grant of 1569 probably accidentally put in the name of Henry VIII for that of Henry VII, the entry in our book being undoubtedly coeval with the circumstance. We here get the foundations of our present coat of arms; the fleams representing the old Barber-Surgeons or Barbers, and the crowned rose and spatula the Surgeons proper, both of which were introduced into one shield in 1561, and quartered in 1569.
On either side of the shield of the Surgeons’ Arms stands a Saint habited as a doctor or physician, one of whom holds a medical vessel in his right hand, while the other has a box of ointment and a spatula, indicative of their being professors of the healing art. These are the patron Saints of the Company, Cosmus and Damianus. Mrs. Jameson states that they—
were two brothers, Arabians by birth but they dwelt in Ægæ, a city of Cilicia. Their father having died while they were yet children, their pious mother Theodora, brought them up with all diligence, and in the practice of every Christian virtue. Their charity was so great, that not only they lived in the greatest abstinence, distributing their goods to the infirm and poor, but they studied medicine and surgery, that they might be able to prescribe for the sick, and relieve the sufferings of the wounded and infirm; and the blessing of God being on all their endeavours, they became the most learned and the most perfect physicians that the world had ever seen. They ministered to all who applied to them, whether rich or poor. Even to suffering animals they did not deny their aid, and they constantly refused all payment or recompense, exercising their art only for charity and for the love of God; and thus they spent their days.