The influential families that we know of today are either tied to royalty, business empires, or major political movements. But have you ever been curious about families who were just as powerful and wealthy, yet slowly faded from public memory through time? These families date back to the earliest kings and great philosophers to ever exist.
In this article, let’s look back and discover influential families in their time of fame. Learn what their coat of arms says about them. Are their coats of arms still seen today? And why should we still continue to talk about them? Keep reading to find out!
The House of Camondo
The Camondo family was a prominent Jewish family in the time of the Ottoman Empire. They originally came from Spain but had to flee between Venice and Turkey. They refused to convert to Catholicism, which was a huge requirement in 1492.
Their expulsion turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Their skills in trading and finances flourished, and they eventually founded the Imperial Ottoman Bank. Because they also conducted their business internationally and often traveled to Venice, they were huge supporters of the King of Italy at the time and often donated to his cause, which led to their being given the title of Count. Their success in the banking industry continued to the next generations until the early 20th century, when the bank closed down.
Their coat of arms features the motto “Fides et Caritas,” which translates to faith and charity. The design also shows their Jewish roots, symbolized by the Star of David and a fleur-de-lis, representing the family’s ties to Italy. This symbol is also common in French heraldry.
The FitzGerald Family: Irish Knights in England
The Irish FitzGerald Dynasty from Ireland had very close ties with the House of Tudor in England, which held the throne in England from 1485 to 1603. The FitzGeralds were one of the service families that the royal families relied on.
Their coat of arms is simple. It features a red cross on a shield, representing their early family members’ strong religious beliefs and military strength. Many of their famiy members were Knights in the 13th century.
The Løvenskiold Family: Merchants Turned Nobles in Norway
The Løvenskiolds are a norwegian family that became nobles after paying the royal family’s private fund. Their family descended from the merchant Herman Leopoldus, who moved to Norway. His son continued the family’s timber business and became wealthy, buying the title of a baron. They were one of the early Norwegian families to buy noble status in 1739.
After the purchase, their last name changed from Leopoldus to a more Norwegian name, Løvenskiold. This new name translates to ‘lion shield,’ as shown on their family crest.
The Washington Family: Founding Father’s Heraldry
The Washington family is probably one of the most iconic surnames. It was made popular thanks to George Washington, the first president of the United States of America after the war. While he was a devout believer in the new America, their family hailed from County Durham, England. After America became independent from Britain, George Washington communicated with the College of Arms in London to work on tracing his ancestors’ coat of arms.
It was found that the family’s coat of arms featured stars and stripes that have been said to inspire the flag of the USA. A raven on the family crest is also one of the coat of arms symbols, which depict providence.
You can still see the same family crest design on the district flag of Washington, D.C.
The Kong Family - Descendants of Confucius
The Kong Family began with Kong Qui, a famous Chinese philosopher also known as Confucius. The Kongs have the longest recorded family tree to ever exist. The Confucius Genealogy Compilation shows that Confucius’ family tree has over 83 generations, with over 2 million registered descendants. If we were to include the non-registered ones, it might reach 3 million!
Living descendants had to pay a fee to join Confucius’ tree. This raises questions about his ancestral links’ integrity if being included can simply be bought.
Although Chinese families don’t follow Western heraldry, they have a rich history of symbols and emblems often seen on praying temples, family heirlooms, pottery, ritual vessels, and clothes.
Symbols in the Confucius line often feature the yin and yang, which is a circle that has a black half with a white dot and a white half with a black dot. This represents the idea of balance.
Other symbols featured in the Kong Family’s lineage come from their roots in the Shang dynasty. They include dragons, birds, and geometric patterns alongside clan name inscriptions. Still, much like heraldry in Europe, Chinese symbols were used to depict values and attributes of families who used them.
The House of Montmorency : Fallen Royal Favorites
The Montmorencys are one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in France. They were so highly respected that even King Henry VI of France deemed them deserving of the French Crown.
Anne de Montmorency is the family’s most notable figure. He served under five French kings, becoming a royal favorite who held great power in the military as the Constable of France.
The Montmorencys were highly involved in French Politics until their nobility was taken away after the French Revolution (when people challenged the idea of aristocrats).
Their coat of arms features 16 eagles, representing their family’s strength, courage, and nobility, as well as a crown, symbolizing the monarch’s high regard for their family.
Why It’s Important to Look Back
Digging into the forgotten families of the past can help make sense of family traditions and beliefs today. It’s fascinating to see how these symbols transcend time, even when families that once wore them are barely remembered.
If you’re on a journey to find your coat of arms then tracing family history and genealogy can give so much context in understanding the meaning behind coat of arms symbols. More than that, it allows you to see yourself as part of a continuous line with beliefs, values, traditions, and achievements to live by.
Image credits:
-
House of Montmorency coat of arms via Wikimedia Commons, source
-
Løvenskiold gravestone, Mæl Church via Wikimedia Commons, source
-
Coat of Arms of the Duke of Leinster via Wikimedia Commons, source
-
Camondo family crest via Wikimedia Commons, source
-
Vintage photos in chest by Mink Mingle on Unsplash, source
