Water bouget

Water-bouget

Water-bouget: a yoke with two large skins appended to it, formerly used for the conveyance of water to an army. It has been differently drawn at different periods, as the figures, which are arranged in something like chronological order, will shew. Many more slight varieties of form might be given, and as the form has varied so has the name. It is not easy to determine the primary form, but in the earlier rolls it is spelt, as will be seen by the examples, in a variety of ways, i.e. bouges, bouz, buzes, buz, bouces; and in rolls of Edw. III.'s reign we find bouges, boustes, bustes, and busteaux; oge is also found.

William de ROOS, de goules, a trois bouges d'argent[in other copies, 'd'azur a trez d'or,' and 'trois bousses d'or']--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Robert de ROOS, de goules, a treis buz d'argent[in another copy, a trois buzes d'argent]--Ibid.

Sire Johan de ROS, de goules, a iij bouces de sable--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Sire Robert de ROS, de goules a iij bouces de ermyne--Ibid.

    Guillemes de ROS assemblans             I fu rouge o trois bouz blans.      
                                              Roll of Carlaverock.              

Monsire TRUSBUTT[elsewhere R. TRUSSEBUZ], d'argent, a une daunsy sable entre trois bouges sable[elsewhere blazoned 'tres boutz,' a play on the name]--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Monsire de BINGHAM, port d'or, sur fes gules trois boustes d'argent--Ibid.

Monsire de SAUNSCHEVERELL, port d'argent, une salter d'asur, au busteaux d'or en le salter--Ibid.

Gules, a water-bouget argent--DELAMORE.

Or, on two bars gules three water-bougets argent--WILLOUGHBY, co. Derby.

Argent, a bend between two water-bougets sable--LOCKEY, Essex. co. Hereford; HOMES, co. Hertford; and co. York.

The term dossers is sometimes found; it is an old English term signifying some receptacle carried on the backs of men or of animals; and in the latter case equivalent to the term 'panniers;' so that the figures in the arms of BANNISTER are sometimes blazoned as baskets.

Sable, two dossers suspended by an annulet argent; on a chief gules three fleurs-de-lis or--BANESTER, Darwyn, co. Lancaster.

Argent, two buckets suspended by an annulet saltirewise sable between three fleurs-de-lis gules--BANISTER.

Finally, it will be seen that the same figures in the same coat of arms are blazoned as buckets(q.v.). and this is possibly the modern form of the ancient 'bougets.'