Roundles

Roundles

Roundles, (old fr. rondels, rondeus, &c.): this is a general name given to the circles borne on shields, and to which specific names are given according to their tinctures. There seems to have been, however, in the earlier times an indifference to employing the same term to the same tinctures, as will be seen by the examples given:--

The roundel or. In the rolls of Henry III.'s reign, though bezanté occurs three or four times, no case is observed of the "bezant." In Edward II. we have bezans d'or, in the poem of the Siege of Carlaverok, and in Edward III.'s reign, besant(the d'or being understood). In Edward II. and III. rondels d'or, in "Carlaverok" gasteaus d'or, and in Edward III. pelots d'or.

The roundle argent. In Henry III.'s reign torteux d'argent and gastelles d'argent; Edward II. and Edward III.'s reigns pelotes d'argent; and in Edward II.'s reign rondels d'argent.

The roundle gules. In Henry III.'s reign we have torteux de gules, and throughout Edward II. and Edward III. rondels de gules. In one case we meet with pelletts de gules, and in Carlaverock "rouges rondeaux."

The roundles of sable or azure are rare, we find rondels d'azure and pellets d'azure, and also peletts de sable. No other roundles appear named in the early rolls. Several examples of the device will be found given under hurts, pellets, plates, and torteaux, and a few others are here added to illustrate the variety.

Sire Amori de SEINT AMAUNT, de or frette de sable; od le chef de sable a iij rondeus de or--Roll, temp. ED. II.

    Ele Amauri de SAINT AMANT               O trois gasteaus de or derechief    
    ... De or e de noir fretté; au chief      Roll of Carlaverok, c. 1300.      

Monsire de ST.AMOND, port d'or frette de sable; une chief de sable, trois rondeus d'or--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Sire Robert de ESTAFFORD, de or a un cheveron de goules e iij besanz de or--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Monsire LA ZOUCH, gules une bend d'argent entre vj besants--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Roger de HUNTINGFEILD, d'or a la fesse de goules et trois torteux d'argent e la fesse--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Sire William de HONTYNGFELD, de or e une fesse de goules a iij rondels e argent--Roll, temp. ED. II. [See Ibid. ED. III. under pellets.]

Hugh WAKE, d'or a deulx barres de goules ove trois torteux de goules en le cheif--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

    Del bon Hue de Courtenay                De or fin o trois rouges rondeaus   
    La baniere oubliée ne ay                E azurins fu li labeaus.            
                                              Roll of Carlaverok, c. 1300.      

Sire Hue de COURTENAY, de or a iij rondeux de goules e un label de azure--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Sire Felip FITZ ERNYS, de argent a iij rondes de goules.

Sire Richard de BASCREVILE, de argent a un Cheveron de goules e iij rondels de azure--Roll, temp. ED. II.

The modern English rules, however, limit the several names to the several tinctures,--

  Or, called always Bezants.              Vert called always Pomeis.            
  Argent  ,,    ,,   Plates.              Purpure ,,    ,,   Golpes.            
  Gules   ,,    ,, Torteaux.              Sable   ,, either Pellets,            
  Azure   ,,    ,,    Hurts.                  Ogresses or Gunstones.            

Under most of these terms many examples will be found. There are also roundles of the rarer tinctures, viz. sanguine and tenné, which have been named by later heralds respectively guzes and oranges.

The French use as a rule only the term besants for the two metals, and tourteaux for all else, but the latter is applied sometimes to metals also. The terms heurtes, gulpes, volets(for pomeis), ogresses, and guzes seem also to be used.

D'azur a trois tourteaux d'argent au chef de gueules--CARBONEL, Normandie.

D'or a trois chevrons de sable accompagnés de trois tourteaux de sinople--DESCHAMPS.

De gueules, coupé d'azur a trois tourteaux a hermine--CANISY.

The result is that the term roundle(written sometimes rundle and ronde) is retained only for cases where the circle is partycoloured, or charged with an ordinary or other charge. It may be ermine, or vair, or it may be barry-wavy(and if argent and azure it is then termed a fountain, q.v.). A case may occur also where the field being of more than one tincture and the roundles counterchanged, that term is used for convenience to cover the whole series, though one might be a bezant and another a torteau. The old rondel or rondelet voided is a term found applied to a figure like an annulet, and perhaps its equivalent.

Sable, three roundles quarterly argent and gules[otherwise gyronny of eight argent and gules, otherwise gyronny argent and azure]--DERWARD.

Argent, three pellets, on each a bend of the field--BENEVILLE, Devon.

Argent, three pomeis, on each two bendlets wavy of the field--MILTON.

Argent, three roundles cheveronny of six gules and azure--CARRANT[Sheriff of Dorset. sub Hen. VI.]

Argent, three ogresses, on the first a cross flory of the field--HEATHE.

Per pale gules and azure, three plates, each charged with a cross engrailed vert between four ermine spots sable--HEATHCOTE.

Azure, three plates, each chargeed with a squirrel gules, cracking a nut or--CRESWELL, co. Northampton. [Confirmed to Robert Cresswell 31 Elizabeth.]

Azure, a roundle chequy or and azure between three boar's heads couped of the second--GORDON, Scotland.

Gules, three roundles vair, on a chief or a lion passant sable--PARTRICK.

Three roundles barry wavy of six argent and vert--THEMILTON.

Per bend or and azure, three roundles in pale counterchanged--BAYNES, London.

Per fesse argent and gules three roundles counterchanged--BEAUFORD.

Sire John de PLESSIS d'argent ove six faux rondeletts de goules--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Sire Robert BORGYLOUN, quartele de or e de goules, a une bende de sable; en les quarters de goules rondels perces de argent--Roll, temp. ED. II.

The French besant-tourteau(or tourteau-besant) is used when the roundle is partly metal and partly colour.

D'azur, à l'étoile à huit rais d'or chargée d'un besant-tourteau, écartelé en sautoir d'argent et de gueules--BONVISY.

There is no limit to the number of roundles in a shield; a single one is frequently found, and every number up to 13. Also 15 and 18 are found.

Barry of six, or and gules, thirteen roundles counterchanged, three, two, three, two and three--CAUNTER.

Argent, eighteen hurts, nine, four, three, and two--HUNTING.