Heraldry Studies · The Registry

Membership &
Registry Terms

A lasting record of your family's coat of arms. Your first month is $4.99, then $19.99 a month after that — and you can cancel any time with a single email.

The Terms, Stated Plainly

First Month

$4.99

Charged today. Includes your research, your coat of arms recreated, and your entry in the Registry.

Every Month After

$19.99

Billed monthly from the second month onward, keeping your house recorded and your standing accruing.

How To Cancel

Email us at heraldrystudies@findyourcrest.com with your name and the surname on your record. We cancel it and confirm by reply. No long-term contract, no cancellation fee, and you may cancel before the second month is ever charged.

✦
I
Chapter One

What Membership Means

When you join the Heraldic Registry, your family coat of arms is researched, recreated, and permanently recorded among a curated collection of distinguished houses — an entry that remains yours for as long as the Registry stands.

Each member receives a registration number, an enrollment date, and a membership status that grows with time enrolled. Heraldic distinctions are separate: they are earned through the richness of the family's own story — its lineage, patron saint, and symbolism.

The Terms, In Plain Words

Your first month is $4.99, charged today. From the second month onward, membership is $19.99 per month. There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fee — cancel at any time by writing to us, including before the second month is charged, and we handle it for you.

II
Chapter Two

What Happens After You Join

Enrollment sets four things in motion. Research and recreation are done by hand; the printed arms follow by post.

I

Research

Your surname is searched against heraldic and onomastic sources — origin, name variants, symbolism, and the arms historically associated with the family.

II

Recreation

The coat of arms is recreated faithfully to heraldic convention: field, charges, helm, mantling, and motto, composed as a full achievement.

III

Enrollment

Your house is entered into the Registry with a registration number, an enrollment date, and any distinctions its heraldic story earns.

IV

Print & Post

The finished arms are printed on archival-grade paper and mailed to your door, ready to frame. You cover only shipping.

III
Chapter Three

Member Benefits

Permanent Record

Your family coat of arms is permanently recorded in the Heraldic Registry and displayed among the distinguished houses of the collection.

Heraldic Distinctions

Earn heraldic medals — the Heritage Shield, Service Medal, Distinction Star, and Antiquity Cross — based on the richness of your family's heraldic story.

Prestige Tiers

Progress through five prestige tiers, from Newly Enrolled to Distinguished House, each reflecting the depth of your house's heraldic narrative.

Founding Recognition

The earliest members are honoured with the Founding Member seal — a permanent mark of their place at the foundation of the Registry.

Verified Display

Your registration number, enrollment date, and membership status are displayed alongside your crest, lending credibility and provenance.

Member Support

Direct access to our team for any membership adjustment, including changes to your record or cancellation at any time.

IV
Chapter Four

Your Entry of Record

Every house on the Registry is recorded in the same form, so that any entry can be read and compared against another. This is what yours will carry.

Specimen Entry

The Heraldic Registry · Entry of Record

Registration No.HR-1042
Family NameWhittington
EnrolledMarch 2026
StandingCharter Member
Prestige TierEminent House
DistinctionsThree conferred

Every member's entry carries these same particulars, displayed alongside their crest in the Registry.

V
Chapter Five

Membership Status

Every member carries a status reflecting their place within the Registry. Status is determined solely by the length of enrollment — the months since you joined.

Charter Member
FOUNDING★MEMBER

Charter Member

Twelve months or more

Charter standing reflects a long, sustained presence within the Registry — the highest tier of enrollment time.

Lifetime Member

Lifetime Member

Three to twelve months

A lifetime designation recognising a sustained commitment to the Registry.

Active Member

Active Member

One to three months

In good standing and fully recorded within the Registry.

ProvisionalHS

Provisional Member

First month

Newly enrolled members are fully recorded and displayed, with standing accruing as their enrollment time grows.

VI
Chapter Six

The Five Prestige Tiers

As your family's heraldic story unfolds, your house rises through five prestige tiers — each reflecting the richness of its lineage, symbolism, and heritage rather than the time you have been enrolled.

01

Newly Enrolled

From enrollment

The first step into the Registry. Your family coat of arms is recorded and displayed, with distinctions to follow as its heraldic story is uncovered.

02

Registered House

1 distinction

A house whose heraldic story begins to unfold — a documented lineage earning its first distinction, the Heritage Shield.

03

Honoured House

2 distinctions

A house recognised for a richer narrative — detailed symbolism and heritage earning a second distinction within the Registry.

04

Eminent House

3 distinctions

A house of notable heraldic achievement, whose lineage, patron saint, and symbolism together mark a distinguished record.

05

Distinguished House

4 distinctions

The highest tier — a house whose complete heraldic story spans a rich lineage, patron saint, and full symbolism, the fullest distinction the Registry records.

VII
Chapter Seven

The Four Heraldic Medals

Four distinctions are conferred according to the depth of your family's heraldic record — its lineage narrative, patron saint, symbolism, and design. Each one earned is entered against your registration.

⚜

Heritage Shield

First Distinction

Granted for a documented family lineage — the foundational narrative of origin and heritage that earns the first heraldic distinction.

✦

Service Medal

Second Distinction

Bestowed when the family's heraldic story expands to include detailed primary symbolism and a recognised patron saint.

★

Distinction Star

Third Distinction

Awarded for rich secondary elements and an intricate shield design — a crest of exceptional and noteworthy composition.

✠

Antiquity Cross

Fourth Distinction

Conferred for the fullest heraldic story — a complete lineage, patron saint, and mantling that together span generations of recorded heritage.

A Note on Our Distinctions

These are our own marks, not official heraldic honours. They are conferred on what a family's history and arms suggest, and so some of it is read between the lines.

VIII
Chapter Eight

Seals & Badges

Two marks appear beside the crests in the Registry. One is limited forever; the other denotes a house in good standing.

FOUNDING★MEMBER

Founding Member Seal

Awarded exclusively to the first fifteen families enrolled in the Registry. The seal is a permanent mark of their place at the foundation of the collection.

HS

The HS Badge

Carried by all members enrolled after the founding fifteen. The HS mark denotes a registered house in good standing within the Heraldic Registry.

IX
Chapter Nine

Managing & Ending Your Membership

There are no long-term contracts. You may adjust or cancel your membership at any time — including before the $19.99 second month is charged. One email is enough, and our team makes the change for you.

Contact Us To Cancel

Send an email with your name and the surname on your record, and we will process your cancellation promptly.

heraldrystudies@findyourcrest.com
X
Chapter Ten

What This Registry Is

The Heraldic Registry is a private, independently maintained collection operated solely by Heraldry Studies — a digital archive and commemorative display where individuals may record and showcase coats of arms associated with their family heritage.

It is a private publication and creative project. It is not a governmental body, a royal institution, a college of arms, or any form of official heraldic authority. We do not grant, award, confirm, or recognise coats of arms, titles of nobility, knighthoods, or any form of heraldic or social status.

Membership confers no legal rights, privileges, titles, or standing under any heraldic law, in any jurisdiction. It is a voluntary, decorative listing — nothing more, and we would rather say so plainly than let anyone assume otherwise.

XI
Chapter Eleven

What We Are Not

We wish to be absolutely clear: Heraldry Studies is not an official heraldic authority. We do not possess, and have never claimed to possess, any legal or sovereign power to:

  • —Grant, matriculate, or confirm coats of arms to any person, family, or institution
  • —Award or recognise titles of nobility, knighthood, or honour
  • —Issue legal documents, letters patent, or grants of arms
  • —Regulate or enforce the use of heraldic devices
  • —Represent any sovereign, government, or crown
  • —Certify lineage, ancestry, or noble descent

Any display of arms, crests, or heraldic designs within this registry is an artistic recreation and decorative representation, created for personal enjoyment, commemoration, and aesthetic appreciation. These designs do not constitute official grants of arms or legal entitlements.

XII
Chapter Twelve

Official Heraldic Authorities

For those seeking an officially recognised coat of arms, the bodies below are the legitimate heraldic authorities operating under sovereign or state recognition. Only these can grant arms carrying legal standing.

United Kingdom — England, Wales & Northern Ireland

The College of Arms

Founded by Royal Charter in 1484, the sole body authorised to grant arms in these jurisdictions. Its grants carry legal standing under English law.

United Kingdom — Scotland

The Court of the Lord Lyon

Headed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, it grants and regulates arms in Scotland and keeps the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings. Scottish heraldry is enforced by statute.

Republic of Ireland

Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland

Operating under the National Library of Ireland, it has granted arms since 1943 and maintains the Register of Arms.

Canada

The Canadian Heraldic Authority

Established in 1988 under the Governor General, it grants arms to Canadian citizens and institutions.

Spain

Cronistas de Armas

Historically the Kings of Arms regulated Spanish heraldry; today matters fall to regional and national bodies, with the Crown retaining authority over royal and noble arms.

France

No official authority

Abolished at the Revolution. French citizens may freely adopt arms; no state body grants them.

Germany

No central authority

Regulated regionally, with state archives and heraldic societies keeping voluntary registers. Arms are generally assumed rather than granted.

Italy

No official authority

The Consulta Araldica was abolished with the Republic. Heraldry is largely self-regulated by family tradition.

Netherlands

Hoge Raad van Adel

Advises the Crown on grants of arms and keeps the register of noble families. Municipal arms are granted by Royal Decree.

Belgium

Council of the Nobility

Advises the Belgian Crown on nobility and heraldry; personal grants are rare.

Switzerland

No official authority

Citizens freely adopt arms; the Swiss Heraldic Society keeps a voluntary register. Civic arms are regulated by cantonal law.

South Africa

The Bureau of Heraldry

Established 1963, it registers arms for individuals, bodies and municipalities.

Sweden

Riksarkivet (National Archives)

Holds the official register of arms for noble families and municipalities.

Portugal

Instituto Português de Heráldica

Advises the state on arms for municipalities and institutions; personal arms are largely self-assumed.

Australia & New Zealand

No dedicated authority

Citizens may petition the College of Arms in London, whose grants are recognised locally.

Provided for information only and not necessarily exhaustive. Heraldic law varies by jurisdiction and changes over time; for official guidance, consult the relevant authority directly.

XIII
Chapter Thirteen

Your Understanding & Our Position

By submitting a coat of arms to, or purchasing membership in, the Heraldic Registry, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • —This registry is a private, non-official, decorative collection maintained by Heraldry Studies.
  • —No entry constitutes an official grant, confirmation, or recognition of arms by any authority.
  • —All heraldic artwork is an artistic recreation and carries no legal or heraldic standing.
  • —Membership confers no rights, titles, privileges, or status under any heraldic or nobility law.
  • —Heraldry Studies claims no affiliation with, or endorsement by, any official heraldic body.
  • —Any resemblance between displayed arms and officially registered arms is coincidental.
  • —For official heraldic matters, consult the appropriate national authority.

We respect and honour the work of official heraldic authorities worldwide. This registry is offered in appreciation of heraldic art and family heritage — as a private celebration, never as a substitute for official institutions.

The Registry, its design, structure, and original content are the property of Heraldry Studies. Individual arms may be subject to the rights of their respective families; where official arms exist, rights remain with the granting authority and the armiger. Our recreations are original works of decorative art, made for display within this registry only.

Questions about any of the above are welcome at heraldrystudies@findyourcrest.com. We are committed to full transparency about what we are, and what we are not.

"A family's arms outlast the family that bore them — provided someone troubles to write them down."

Enroll Your House

Is Your Family's Name Recorded?

Search the archive of recorded families and begin your family's entry in the Registry.

Search Your Family Name
Heraldry Studies

An independent research studio documenting family names, coats of arms and their origins from historical armorials and public archives.

Customer care: heraldrystudies@findyourcrest.com

© 2026 Heraldry Studies. All rights reserved.A private registry. Not an official heraldic authority.