Does anyone know where i can get an image image of the Ritchie family crest?

Question

I am trying to find an image of the ritchie family crest (scotland) to turn into a cross stitch pattern, but can only find images that i have to pay for. If anyone could help this it would be great! thanks

Answer 1

There is no such thing as a family crest.  A crest is part of a coat of arms. Coats of arms do not belong to surnames despite what peddlers on the internet, at shopping malls, at airports, in magazines and solicitation by mail will tell you.  Some coats of arms do not have a crest.  The surname product business  is one of the biggest scams around.

They are granted to individuals and are passed down through the legitimate male line descendants.  There might have been, for instance, 15 different individuals with the same surname, not all necessarily related, who were each granted their own coat of arms, all different.  No one peddler that sells them will have all 15. They don't need to in order to sell to people. The only time they will have more than one is if more than one person from different national origins were granted a coat of arms. In that case, they will have one of each when actually there might have been several of each.  

See the links below, one regarding Scottish heraldry, one from the British College of Arms and the other from the most prestigious genealogical organization in the U.S., The National Genealogical Society.

http://www.bothwell.cx/arms.shtml

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.ht...

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comconsumerp...

Answer 2

houseofnames.com might show you a crest that was once issued to someone named Ritchie, but whether he was your ancestor or not is anyone's guess. There really isn't any such thing as a "Family" coat of arms or "Family" crest.

Your Ritchie ancestors may have lived 400 miles from the one who got the Crest. They might have been "Ritchy", from Bulgaria, 4,000 miles away. They may have sprung from Sir Ritchie's loins via a compliant chambermaid.

Family crest/Cof A are to genealogy what astrology is to astronomy; a widely-believed myth that doesn't really hurt anyone, but annoys the dedicated hobbyists.

Answer 3

OK, so with all those caveats why not cut into the family crest sellers income a little and give you an image and description for free. This coat of arms with crest and motto is documented in several books on the heraldry of Scotland.

Ritchie (Craigtown, Scotland, 1758). Quarterly[devide the shield into 4 quarters], 1st and 4th, argent[silver] on a chief[wide stripe] Gules[red] three lion's heads erased of the field [colored so they show up]; 2nd and 3rd, azure[blue] a crescent or[gold], between three cross-crosslets argent[silver].

Crest: - A unicorns head couped ermine[white with black spots] horned or[gold].

Motto: Virtute acquiritur honos. ; Honor is acquired by virtue.

View print and use this as you see fit. http://www.rushings.info/images/ritchie1...