fesse chequy

The fesse is a broad horizontal band across the centre of the shield, in very ancient times it was said to occupy one third of the area height of the shield A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P117, however it soon became somewhat narrower. This created an opportunity to add decorative edging to the band, of many forms, and to very pleasing artisitic effect, at least close up – it must be admitted that at distance some of the forms are hard to distinguish! Chequy is a repeating pattern alternately coloured squares A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Chequy, any combination of colours may be used. As well as covering the whole field, it can also be used as a patterning on some of the larger ordinaries, as here, in which case there are three rows of squares. Wade, an authority on heraldic meaning groups chequy with all those heraldic features that are composed of squares and believes that they represent “Constancy”, but also quotes another author Morgan, who says that they can also be associated with “wisdom…verity, probity…and equity”, and offers in evidence the existence of the common English saying that an honest man is a “Square Dealer” The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P100.