At 02:21 PM 10/29/2002 -0500, Maryann Arnold wrote: >Hi Aaron: > >Go to http://www.clanyoung.org for a Young coat of arms, it's >history, clan tartan, etc. I happened to stumble on it one day. >Young is supposedly a Scottish name, not Irish, which surprised me, >but it is an interesting web site. Read the historical >story about the sewing of the American flag, if you like trivia. Some YOUNGs are from Scottish heritage. Some are from English, Irish, German, etc. Clan Young is an organization specifically for those who trace their genealogy back to a Scottish ancestor named YOUNG, but they do accept memberships from others with a YOUNG heritage who cannot definitively tie into one of the known Scottish lines. I joined years ago because my Moses YOUNG c1800 lived in an area of South Carolina where known Scottish YOUNGs were living. We cannot tie Moses in, yet, but I keep hoping for someone to find me his parentage! One must be careful when purchasing & displaying family crests, heralds, or coats of arms. (By the way, those are distinct entities.) A coat of arms does not 'belong' to a surname -- it must have been issued to an individual and can then be passed down the male line of succession. The wrongful assumption of arms in Scotland is punishable by fine and imprisonment. "A coat of arms was used individually and did NOT generally 'belong' to a surname. Whether the crest belongs to - or was used by - a member of your (branch of the) family is a matter for your personal consideration. Research may be required to determine if the crest was ever used by a member of your family." -- http://www.users.bigpond.com/paulvanv/crests.htm For more information, see the following references: The College of Arms, United Kingdom -- http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/faq.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~rwguide/lesson19.htm http://www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/arms.html Regards, Elsi P.S. After joining Clan Young, you are given the right to wear/display the Clan's crest. P.P.S You could design your own family crest.