The Morse Coat of Arms

Pictured above is the shield from the Morse coat of arms as described in Berry’s Heraldry, and quoted by Rev. Abner Morse in Memorial of the Morses (1850): Argent, a battle-axe in gules between three pellets in sable. “Argent,” “gules,” and “sable” are the heraldic names for the colors silver (or white), red, and black. There are a number of variations as to the crest and mantle of the coat of arms (see below), but this shield is the central heraldic emblem for Morses.

Variations.

The coat of arms from Memorial of the Morses is shown below. Note the addition of three features:

1. Motto (on the ribbon beneath the shield) “In Deo non armis fido” — “I trust in God, not in arms” (a curious motto for a coat of arms that prominently features the battleaxe).
2. Mantle (leafy embellishment draping the shield)
3. Crest (above the mantle) described as “Two battle-axes in saltire proper, banded with a chaplet of roses.”

Rev. Morse noted:

The name of Morse also claims a high antiquity. It first occurs A.D. 1358, in the reign of Edward III. As a journey was about to be undertaken into France during a truce with that country and the captivity of her king, Edward addressed his order to “Hugo de Mors de conductu pro familurabus cardinalis Petragoricencis et aliorum.” From the nature of the commission and the prevalence of chivalry at the time, it is inferred that Hugo was a knight. … This coat of arms, with the excellent motto, “In Deo non armis fido,” I trust in God not in arms, Prof. Samuel F. B. Morse informs me, has been in the family in the south of England nearly 500 years.

The crest and motto of this coat of arms were used in the official seal of the original Morse Society in 1892, shown below (from the title page of The Morse Genealogy, 1903/05):

An adaptation of Rev. Morse’s coat of arms is shown next, the only difference being that a “helm” has been added atop the shield. The style of helm is indicative of the rank of the bearer. This particular helm — steel, full profile, closed visor — supposedly indicates an esquire or gentleman.

Here’s another variation, which also depicts a helm, but is lacking the motto, and the crossed battle-axe crest has been replaced with the lion and plumb.

Despite all the adaptations and embellishments, there is no known proof of any Morse being ennobled. Refer to the heraldry section at Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites for a list of heraldry websites. For an excellent description of the various parts of a coat of arms, and the symbols and colors used, see Eddie Geoghegan's heraldry page.

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