Royal badges, and the supporters of the arms of various kings, were in former times largely used as signs. The following is a list of the supporters:--
RICHARD II., Two Angels, (blowing trumpets.) HENRY IV., Swan and Antelope. HENRY V., Lion and Antelope. HENRY VI., Two Antelopes. EDWARD IV., Lion and Bull. EDWARD V., Lion and Hind. RICHARD III., Two Boars. HENRY VII., Dragon and Greyhound. HENRY VIII., Lion and Dragon. EDWARD VI., Lion and Dragon. MARY, Eagle and Lion. ELIZABETH, Lion and Dragon. JAMES I., Lion and Unicorn, which have continued ever since.
Of early royal badges an interesting list occurs in Harl. MS., 304, f. 12:--
“King Edward the first after the Conquest, sonne to Henry the third, gave a Rose gold, the stalke vert.
“King Edward the iij gave a lyon in his proper coulor, armed azure langued or. The oustrich fether gold, the pen gold, and a faucon in his proper coulor and the Sonne Rising.
“The prince of Wales the ostrich fether pen and all arg.
“Queen Philipe, wyff of Edward the iij^{ d}. gave the whyte hynd.
“Edmond, Duk of York, sonne of Edward the iij, gave the Faucon arg. and the Fetterlock or.
“Richard the second gave the White hart, armed, horned, crowned or, and the golden son.
“Henry, sonne to the Erl of Derby, first Duk of Lancaster, gave the red rose uncrowned, and his ancestors gave the Fox tayle in his prop. coulor and the ostrich fether ar. the pen ermyn.
“Henry the iiij gave the Swan ar. and the antelope.
“Henry the v gave the Antelope or, armed, crowned, spotted (?) and horned gold and the Red Rose oncrowned and the Swan silver, crown and collar gold, by the Erldom of Herford.
“Henry the vi gave the same that his father gave.
“Edward the iiij gave the Whyte Lyon and the Whyte Rose and the Blak Bull uncrowned.
“Richard the iij gave the Whyte Boar and the Whyte Rose, the clayes gold.
“Henry the seventh gave the hawthorn tree vert and the Porte Cullys and the Red Rose and the Whyte Crowned.
“The Ostrych fether silver, the pen gobone sylver and azur, is the Duk of Somerset’s bage.
“The Shypmast with the tope and sayle down is the bage of . . .
“The Cresset and burnyng fyer is the bage of the Admyraltye.
“The Egle Russet with a maydenshead, abowt her neke a Crowne gold, is the bage of the mannor of Conysborow.