Hearn(e) Coat of Arms

James B. Hearn Sr. shared with me this great drawing of the Hearn(e) coat of arms.

It matches the symbols described by the research William T. Hearne had done.

"Arms: SABLE, A CHEVRON BETWEEN THREE HERONS ARGENT

Crest: A HERON’S HEAD DUCALLY GORGED PROPER.

Motto: "LEGES JURAGUE SERV AT."
(History, page 22)

This is the interpretation of the heraldry:

The shield is described as sable (sa.) or black, and it is the field, or ground, on which the armorial bearings are grouped. Some are red, gold or silver. Rothschild is red shield and is pronounced ‘Rote-shild.’ ‘A chevron’ means a bar whose width is one-fifth the length of the shield, the ornamentation of which is ‘ermine.’ This, you know, is the fur lining, or trimming, of royal robes, and of a judge’s robe, in the higher courts of Great Britain, The ermine itself is supposed to be spotless, symbolizing the purity of justice, but the ornaments on it are intended to stand for the tips of the tails of the little animals whose skins make the valuable lining in question, the whole fur except these tips being a pure white. ‘Between three herons argent’ means between three silver herons. Argent is French for silver. The crest which ornaments the top is the neck and head of a heron, resting on the usual support, a banded bar, or perhaps a striped cushion; in this case the bands are gold and silver (‘or’ and argent’). The heron’s head ‘ducallv gorged’ means that the throat, or ‘gorge,’ of the heron is ornamented with a ducal coronet. 'Ppr.' (proper) means its own natural color, gold, with red lining. The motto signifies: ‘He maintains the laws and his rights.’ The 'chevron' is really two bars meeting in the center of the shield like rafters in a roof, and resting on the base of the shield. I will not venture to decide on the significance of these emblems, but I think they must point back to some member of the Hearne family who was a duke and of royal lineage, or he may have won the title by his services on the bench. The heron I take to be a symbol of courage and devotion.(History, page 25)