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Coat of Arms

The Miller family or clan has had a coat of arms for centuries. This points toward the antiquity of the Miller name. In the medieval era local clans waged war against each other frequently over territorial disputes. In these battles the warriors wore armor for protection. They also wore face shields that hid their identity and thus their allegiance. If each faction wore the same type of armor it would have been chaos on the battlefield. So the development of specific designs and colors, known as a coat of arms, became associated with a particular clan or group.

This coat of arms became the recognizable feature of an armored knight. The identifying emblem was painted on his shield and on the surcoat that he wore over his armor. Horses often wore cloth coverings emblazoned with the coat of arms as well. A knight’s lance carried a pennon (a small flag) that contained the same insignia, and an identifying crest of feathers adorned his helmet. Once gunpowder was invented, the protective armor needed to be made of thicker and thus heavier metal. It became so cumbersome that eventually armor was discarded al together. However, the insignia was retained for family and group identification. It remains today as a symbol of which group we historically belong. The coat of arms represents various components of the knight’s protective gear. The depiction includes the crest, wreath, helmet, mantling, and shield. Near the bottom is usually a ribbon inscribed with a motto or war cry (See illustration at right). The following illustration represents one of the most ancient coat of arms of the Millers of England.

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