I will now further confuse the issue. I believe that there was an error at some time in the description of the shield. Where one of the e-mail messages showed a shield with a bull's head over a red and gold cross with a blue background, I believe that the background is supposed to be white. I have photos as follows that I could scan and add to the website: 1 - Icomb Manor (former estate of Sir Robert Whitney) 2 - The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (outside view) 3 - The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (interior view) 4 - The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (baptismal font - dating from Norman times) 5 - The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul - list of Rectors including the church's patrons from1345 to 1663 who were all Whitneys. 6 - Monument to Lucy Booth Whitney in Hereford Cathedral (daughter of Robert Whitney, the last Whitney of Whitney-on-Wye) 7 - Ruin of Clifford Castle, 1 mile southwest of Whitney-on-Wye 8 - Whitney coat of arms in belltower of the Church of St. Mary, Clifford as well as numerous photos of the River Wye In photos #6 and #8 the shield clearly has a white background. With regards to who has the "right" to use such shields, I would presume that the only legal protection of heraldic symbols would exist in Britain. In North America my guess would be that anyone could use them unless protected otherwise by some copyright or trade mark legislation. Hugh Whitney.