Gobony

Gobony

Gobony, goboné, gobonated, and compony(fr. componé): said of an ordinary composed of small squares of two tinctures alternately in one row. If there be two rows it is called counter compony(or compony counter compony), but if more, it comes under the term checquy. A bordure compony should consist of sixteen pieces or gobbits gyronwise.

The name gobony is a corruption of some word(possibly even of compony), but Gibbon fancifully suggests it is "a word used is carving, as to Gobon a lamprey, or the like, into seven or eight pieces." It is certainly an ancient term, and found, as will be seen, in early rolls of arms.

MI MIR MILEBATID de Trie dor a une bende gobone dargent et dazure--Roll, temp. HEN. III. (Harl. MS. 6589.)

Sire Henri de LEYBURNE, de azure a vi lioncels de argent a un label goboune de or e de goules--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Sire Nicholas de GREY, les armes de Grey a un baston goboune de or e de goules--Ibid.

Sire Henri de BEUMOND, de azure flurette de or a un lion rampaund de or e un baston goboune de argent e de goules--Ibid.

Monsire de BEAUMONT, port d'asure a un lyon rampant d'or floret d'or: une baston goboune d'or et de gules de six peeces--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Monsire John de SUTTON, port les armes de Percy[i.e. or, une lyon rampant d'asure] a une baston gobonnie d'argent et de gules--Ibid.

Or, a bend compony, sable and ermine[elsewhere compony ermines and ermine]--STYLE.

Argent, a fesse counter compony, or and gules--HILLARY, Norfolk.

Argent, a fesse gobonated argent and gules between three owls of the second--HARWORTH, Norfolk.

Ermine, four bars gemel, compony or and sable--HORWOOD.

Argent, on a bend sable three bars[otherwise three gobbons] of the first, each charged with a saltorel gules--WORSYCKE.

Gules, a saltire argent; a label gobony argent and azure--NEVILLE, Earl of Salisbury, c. 1450.

Gules, a saltire argent, and a label compony of the second and azure--NEVILLE, Bp. of Exeter, 1456; afterwards Abp. of York, 1465-76.

Quarterly, France and England within a bordure gobony argent and azure--S.JOHN'S COLLEGE, Cambridge[Founded 1508].