[ANSTHRLD] Repeal of the Modest Proposal?

[Doug Bell]

Many in the heraldic community remember and rejoiced at the adoption
of the Modest Proposal by the SCA a few years ago.
     Modest Proposal. The name given to the proposal, implemented in
1996, that the College of Arms restrict calling conflict of submitted
armory to national arms, national flags, and a limited subset of other
non-SCA armory. Such non-SCA armory which is still protected is added to
and listed in the Armorial and Ordinary of the College of Arms.

Well, it was effectively, if not literally,
reversed in October of 2001 by a Wreath ruling.
"In Kieran Hunter's submission, it was ruled that there is presumption
in a case where the arms have no difference from that of a Scottish Clan
Chief, and the surname of the submitter matches the Clan Chief's
surname. While either the name or arms could be registered alone, the
combination implies a status that the submitter does not possess, and is
presumptuous. As stated above, one CD will remove the presumption due to
name and arms combination."

To conflict check a device under this you have to
1. Own Papworths and Fox-Davies, VERY expensive books.
2. determine if the submitters surname is in there.
3. Make sure there is at least one CD between the armory being
submitted and the coat of arms in the books for that surname.

Please note that this checking is a separate step in the process
from conflict checking against SCA registered armory.

Because of this I can
no longer assure a person that their device or badge is
clear of conflicts.  While this doesn't completely repeal
the Modest proposal, it effectively sends conflict checking
to pre 1996 times.  I am considering restricting my
consulting to names and no longer checking armory for
clients.

Only a few folks have noticed this so far.  The commentary and LoIs
are beginning to call conflicts again with armory not in the SCA
armorial.

Local heralds can still do the step of checking against SCA devices
and eliminate those conflicts.  This checking is no longer able
to find all the conflicts that can be called.

I will research this further and ask the CoA if there is any
way to get this ruling reversed.  I think a Pandora's box
has been opened.  The only solution I see is to add
thousands of mundane coats of arms from Papworths Heraldry
to the SCA armorial.

Magnus