Coat of arms of the Washington family facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coat of arms of the Washington family |
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| Armiger | Washington family |
| Crest | From a crest coronet a raven rising wings elevated and addrosed proper. |
| Blazon | Argent two bars Gules, in chief three mullets of the second. |
| Motto | Exitus acta probat (The outcome is the test of the act) |
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A coat of arms is like a special symbol or design that represents a family, country, or organization. Think of it as an old-fashioned logo! The coat of arms of the Washington family has a long history. It was first recorded in the 1300s in County Durham, England, used by the Washington family who lived at Washington Old Hall. Later, in the 1600s, it traveled across the ocean to the Colony of Virginia with George Washington's great-grandfather.
This unique design, which features three red stars above two horizontal red bars on a white background, has inspired other important symbols. Since 1938, it has been used as the basis for the coat of arms and flag of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. You can also see parts of this design on the Purple Heart, a military medal given to soldiers wounded in battle.
You might have heard a story that the "stars and stripes" design of the Flag of the United States was inspired by the Washington family coat of arms. While they do look a bit similar, there is actually "little evidence" or "no evidence whatsoever" to prove this connection. Experts at Mount Vernon, George Washington's historic home, call it an "enduring myth." This story likely started in a play written in 1876 and became popular through a children's magazine called St. Nicholas.
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What Does the Coat of Arms Look Like?
The official description of the Washington family coat of arms, using special heraldry words, is: "Argent two bars Gules, in chief three mullets of the second."
In simpler words, this means:
- Argent (silver or white): The background color of the shield is white.
- Two bars Gules (red): There are two red stripes going horizontally across the shield.
- In chief three mullets of the second: At the very top of the shield, there are three red stars. A "mullet" in heraldry is a star shape, often with five points.
Where Can You See the Washington Coat of Arms?
The Washington family coat of arms can be found in many places, especially in old churches and buildings in England, showing the family's long history. Here are a few examples:
In Stained Glass Windows
- One of the oldest examples might be in a stained glass window at Trinity College, Oxford in England. This window is thought to have come from an even older chapel.
- You can see a version of the coat of arms in a 14th-century stained glass window at Selby Abbey in England. This one is special because its stars have a small hole in the middle.
- At Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, England, which was built by George Washington's ancestor, you can see the coat of arms in stained glass panels in the Great Hall.
On Buildings and Memorials
- The coat of arms is carved into stone at Sulgrave Manor, right above the main entrance.
- It's also carved in stone inside a church in Warton, England, near a pub named "The George Washington." The flag of Washington, D.C., even hangs inside this church!
- You can find the coat of arms on a memorial to John Wessington in the cloisters of Durham Cathedral in England.
- In Maidstone, England, the coat of arms appears on a memorial to Lawrence Washington, an ancestor of George Washington.
- The coat of arms is carved in stone on the tomb of another Lawrence Washington in the church of St Mary in Great Brington, England.
- You can also see it on the outside of Hylton Castle in Sunderland, England, which is an old fortified manor house.
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