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knights recorded in history as the murderers of Archbishop Becket, are Fitz-Urse, Tracy, Morvile, and Brito; and although the subject has been often represented, no allusion to one of the Roche family as concerned in the Archbishop's death is known.

The eccentric Sir Boyle Roche was a scion of a family of the name of Roche, Lords of Fermoy in Ireland, who were ennobled in the reign of Edward II.

Gules, three roach naiant or, within a border engrailed argent; crest, on a rock a heron grasping a roach in its dexter claw, are the armorial ensigns of Sir David Roche of Carass, in the county of Limerick, and of Barnitick in the county of Clare, who was created Baronet 28 June 1838, one of the titles incident to the coronation of her present Majesty.

Sable, three roach naiant in pale argent, are the arms of the family of De La Roche of Herefordshire.

Azure, three roach naiant argent, within a border or, were the arms of Walter Roche of Bromham, in Wiltshire, whose daughter Edith married Harry Tropenell of Chalfield: these are sculptured on the stone screen of the Tropenell chapel in the parish church.

The arms of Tropenell, gules, a fess engrailed ermine, between three griffins' heads erased argent, in several parts of the house at Chalfield, are accompanied by a yoke such as was used for oxen, the family badge, and the motto "Le joug tyra bellement," which may be rendered, The yoke drew well, or, The yoke sat lightly, expressive either of the tenure under which the estate was held, or of the lord of the manor's devotion to agricultural pursuits. There are few more interesting examples of domestic

architecture in the kingdom than Chalfield House, which was built by Thomas Tropenell in the reign of Henry VI.⁕

Sable, three roach naiant argent, are the arms of De Roche in Cornwall, a family which may be traced from the twelfth century, and who derived their name from the natural situation of their possessions at Roche, where a lofty group of craggy rocks, rising out of an open heath, forms a conspicuous and striking object to the surrounding country. Eva, the daughter and heiress of Sir Richard De Roche, married Sir Ralph Arundell, who was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1268, and was the ancestor of the Lords Arundell of Trerice, and the Lords Arundell of Wardour; from him W. A. H. Arundell, Esq. of Lifton Park, Sheriff of Devonshire in 1841, is also descended.

Another heiress of the family of De Roche married Sir William Blundell about 1357, who afterwards assumed the name and arms of Roche. His family continued in possession of the estate till the reign of Henry VIII, when it terminated in four coheiresses, three of whom married into the families of Fortescue, Penkivil, and Boscawen. Roche, with its picturesque crags, is now the property of the Earl of Falmouth, who quarters the arms of Roche with those of Boscawen as typical of this descent.

The family of Roach of Lezant, near Launceston, in Cornwall, and of Wellcombe, in Devonshire, bears for arms, azure, three roach naiant in pale argent.

Or, a bull passant gules, between three roach hauriant proper, a chief chequy or and azure, were the arms of Sir William

Roche, son of John Roche of Wickersley, near Rotherham in Yorkshire, and Lord Mayor of London in 1540.

⁕ An account of this ancient residence was printed by T. L. Walker in 1837.

Argent, on a bend sable three roach of the field, are the arms of the family of Huyshe of Sand, in Devonshire; and were assumed in the reign of Edward III. by Oliver Huyshe of Doniford, in Somersetshire, after his marriage with the daughter and heiress of Simon Roche.

This family claim descent from the Wentworths of Booking, in Essex, who through the Spencers were descended from Joan of Acres, the daughter of King Edward I. Richard Huyshe, who lived in the reign of James I, and was distinguished for benevolence, founded the hospital at Taunton, which bears his arms on the porch. Alexander Huyshe, eminent in literature, assisted Bishop Walton in the publication of the celebrated Polyglott Bible in 1657.

One of the circumstances incident to the revival of literature was the foundation of the Academy of Florence, which originated from a society fancifully termed "The Humides," each member being known in the community by the name of some particular fish, or by some appellation relative to water. Grazzini, a poet of some eminence, the projector of the society, called himself La Lasca, the roach; other members were distinguished by the name of some piscatorial occupation.

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A swan, in pride, devouring a perch, is the crest of Sparke, a Cheshire family; and a swan devouring a perch is also the crest borne by the family of Loch of Drylaw, in the county of Edinburgh. The substitution of a roach would better agree with the natural character of the swan, whose food consists chiefly of the various grasses, with the seeds and roots of plants, growing on the margin of the water. A swan has been known to seize a roach, but the prickly fins of the perch might possibly prove its destruction.

Gules, a chevron engrailed between three roach naiant argent, on a chief of the second, three herons sable, billed and membered gules, are the arms of the family of Hobbs of Middlesex, which bears for crest a demi heron volant sable, billed gules, holding in the bill a fish argent. Herons were royal game in the days of falconry. The bill is strong and very sharp, and when seeking its food on the banks of rivers this bird seizes the fish with great dexterity.

The crest of the family of Beckford, a heron's head erased or, gorged with a collar flory gules, in the beak a fish argent, is one of those punning allusions to the name, Bee fort, shown to be frequent in heraldry.

This family is believed to derive its name from the passage of a beck or stream dividing the counties of Worcester and Gloucester near Tewkesbury. Horace William Beckford succeeded as third Lord Rivers in 1828; the present peer, his son, has assumed the name of Pitt Rivers.

A stork, with a fish in its bill, is the crest of the family of Bat

tie of Wadsworth, near Halifax in Yorkshire. The stork, abundant in Holland and France, is not common in England.

Dace and roach are very similar in appearance, but the former is comparatively more local than the roach. Dace do not occur in heraldry, yet being also known by the name of Dare, it is possible they may be typified in the arms of Dare of Norfolk; sable, a chevron argent between three dolphins or, the general emblem of sea and river fish being here used.

THE MINNOW.

Most of the brooks and rivers of England produce minnows, beautiful little fish, swimming in shoals on the gravelly bottom of the stream: they are borne in arms by the family of Picton. Argent, three minnows, or pinks, in pale gules.

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It may be supposed when a number of fish appear as a charge, those of a small size are intended, as in the arms of Coupir: azure, a bend engrailed between six fishes hauriant argent. Minnows are so named in reference to their small size; and on account of the bright red colour that pervades the under parts of the fish, they are called pinks, a name by which the salmon of the first year are also known.

The family of Fisher of Stafford, had a grant of arms in the reign of James I: or, a kingfisher proper; the crest, a kingfisher with a fish in its beak.

This splendid little bird, which is found in almost every part of the globe, sits near the margin of a streamlet on the watch for the minnow, or the smaller species of fish, fluttering its wings, and exposing its brilliant plumage to the sun; or, hovering in the air, darts unerringly on the fish, and sometimes remains for

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