Over
a period of several centuries, the Crown granted patents of nobility to four
members of the Barnham family. Burke, Extinct and Dormant Peerages of Great
Britain, states that all of them have subsequently lapsed in default of male
heirs. The oldest of these, mentioned in Fairbairn’s Crests of the Leading
Families in Great Britain and Ireland, and their Kindred in other Lands,
was bestowed upon Sir Walter Barnham by Richard II (reigned 1377-1399). Sir
Walter was born about 1350, during the reign of Edward III (reigned 1327-1377)
and was Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of King Richard. The
exact date of his elevation to the nobility is not known.
Sir Walter’s arms are illustrated below in accordance with the description
mentioned.
These arms were granted at an
unknown date to Sir Walter Barnham, L.C.B. (fl. 1350) and were blazoned: Argent, a
cross gules between four crescents gules. Crest: A crescent gules between two
laurel branches in orle proper. It is not known whether a motto accompanied
this blazoning of arms.
The
second patent of nobility granted to a member of the Barnham family was
bestowed upon an unknown member of the family, possibly the father of Sir
Nicholas Barnham. Sir Nicholas and his father were both killed 22 August 1485 in
Leicestershire, England, along with Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth
Field.
Above are the arms granted to
an unknown descendant of Sir Walter Barnham, L.C.B. These arms are blazoned:
sable, a cross engrailed between four crescents argent. Crest: A dragon's head
argent pelletée between four dragon's wings sable bezantée. Motto: Per Crucem
ad Lumen — “Through the Cross to the Light.”
The
third patent of nobility that is known to have been granted by the Crown to a
member of the Barnham family is that of Sir Martin Barnham, Knight of
Hollingbourne, who was Sheriff of Kent in 1598. Sir Martin was knighted on July
23, 1603, by James I (reigned 1603-1625). This was just a few months after
James had ascended the throne following the death of Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603).
Note the quartering of the Barnham arms with those of Martin's mother, the
heiress Alice Brodbridge. The use of the phaeon (the heraldic broad arrow) is an
example of canting or punning arms — using a broad arrow for the sound of
Brodbridge.
Above are the arms of Sir
Martin Barnham, kt., which quarter the arms of his father (Barnham) and
mother (Brodbridge). These arms are blazoned: quarterly 1st and 4th
sable, a cross engrailed between four crescents argent; 2nd and 3rd
azure, a phaeon proper. Crest: A dragon's head argent pelletée between four
dragon's wings sable bezantée. Motto: Per Crucem ad Lumen — “Through the
Cross to the Light.”
Sir
Robert Barnham, esquire, was created a baronet on August 15, 1663 by Charles II
(reigned 1660-1685). His was the fourth patent of nobility granted to a member
of the Barnham family. According to Burke's Heraldry, “[T]he heiress of
Sir Robert Barnham, second and last baronet, married Thomas Rider, esquire. A
branch of the Barnhams still exists at Norwich.” No example has been found of
the arms of Robert Barnham, bart., but it may reasonably be assumed that they
were similar to those of his grandfather, Sir Martin Barnham. The principal
difference would likely have been the quartering of the Barnham arms with those
of Robert's mother, the heiress Elizabeth Lennard, as illustrated below.
The arms of Robert Barnham,
bart. quarter the arms of his father (Barnham) and mother (Lennard). These
arms are blazoned: quarterly 1st and 4th sable, a cross
engrailed between four crescents argent; 2nd and 3rd or, on a fess
gules three fleur-de-lis of the first. Crest: A dragon's head argent pelletée
between four dragon's wings sable bezantée. Motto: Per Crucem ad Lumen
—“Through the Cross to the Light.”
