The Coat of Arms of the Mactaggart Family
The Coat of Arms depicted at the top of these pages is that of a Baronet, a hereditary knighthood, passed from eldest son to eldest son. The honour was first created by James the First in 1611 to reward bravery in battles and to raise money for the upkeep of military forces in Ireland, hence the badge of the ancient symbol of Ulster, the red hand.
There are several versions of the origins of this symbol and its associations with Baronets. The most well-known is that the red hand commemorates an occasion when the king promised, "The first man who touches the shore of Ireland will become the Royal Governor" (and the first baronet). In the first boat to approach the shore, there was great pushing and shoving at the front to be the first to leap ashore, entirely cutting out the weaker men at the back who had no chance to win the prize. It was then that a small man laid his hand on the thwart and chopped it off, throwing it over the heads of those in front, to become the first man to touch the shore, the first baronet and the Royal Governor.
To understand the reason for a coat of arms, one must think back in time to medieval men at arms clad in armour that covered their bodies including helmets that hid their faces. They were unrecognisable to friend or foe.
In order to aid recognition, the helmet carried a 'crest' on top of it, usually with some device that had an association to the wearer. The shield was painted with other symbols, or with information than described the family of the bearer. Finally the motto originated as a war cry to identify friend or foe. As their use as war cries declined many mottoes referenced family traditions or beliefs.
Originally identification for mailed knights on horseback, they later became a privilege extended to Gentlemen, but always, and still officially, arms are only granted by The Heralds of the Crown, two in England and one in Scotland, who are the direct successors of the Hereditary Neutral Ambassadors whose job was to carry messages between opposing forces and to identify members of those forces to the king. They therefore maintained a rigid control of the process of 'Granting Arms' and while today anyone can apply to them for a matriculation of their family coat of arms, (for a fee), the ancient customs and uses and proprieties are maintained by Her Majesty's Heralds.
The Arms of the present Sir John Mactaggart (4th Baronet) were granted to his Great Grandfather, the first Baronet, in 1938, for his services as a housing expert, for his many philanthropies and for his outstanding involvement in International relations.
The crest on the helmet is a castle, representing the family's continuing involvement in housing and properties having expanded from Scotland and England, into Canada and the East and West Coasts of the United States. On the Shield, The Red Hand of Ulster has been explained above.
The Owls indicate the importance of acquiring wisdom, while the Cockle Shells are an ancient symbol of the Protestant Religion.
The Motto "For Commonweal and Liberty" is a Scots way of saying we believe in those methods that enhance the wellbeing and prosperity of the common man, something that cannot be achieved without securing the liberty of the individual.
We have included the Coat of Arms in this website, because it represents the philosophies that form and maintain the objectives of the Mactaggart Third Fund.
Mr Sandy Mactaggart, March 2005