The Powel Veil

The Powel Crest offers yet another symbol of family. The phrase 'Family Crest' is often used interchangeably with the phrase 'Coat of Arms'. A Crest is a symbol placed upon the Helm within a Coat of Arms. In early times, a Crest was a decoration on a Helmet. The Crest was often used to distinguish between members of the same family.

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I leave it to others to add a cogent history of our actual family crest but it can be viewed on the side door of the Powel Coach at Mt Vernon , and on the rings of many a Powel offspring. The history of the Powel Coachee is interesting in it's own right.  Elizabeth Willing Powel, it's owner, was a very social and politically savvy individual and was friends and a personal correspondent with both Ben Franklin and George Washington, among many notable individuals. Regarding the coachee, "After completing his second term, Washington sold his horse and carriage to (Elizabeth) Powel. Washington persuaded her to take both together in a letter written on February 6, 1797: "As the Coach would be lonesome without the horses- and the horses might repine for want of their Coach (having been wedded together Seven years) you had better take both." Washington's humorous words exemplified the warm friendship that he shared with Powel."

 

If you would like copies of the crests I have made, the images for the crest are available in two styles: rasterized (pixels) or vectors (Adobe Illustrator).  For rasterized I can send the orginal Photoshop file  (You can add your own name to it) or a jPeg. I can also send an Adobe Illustrator (Vector File (B&W) ) I created in order to make the image in the video. I can send these files to anyone interested.

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Please note that the following descriptions and meanings are gleaned from a variety of sources, some of which disagree on those meanings. The most commonly accepted meanings are given, but scholars vary in the their opinions concerning the reliability of any "commonly held" historic meanings for coats of arms and crests.

 

Gold : Generosity and elevation of the mind

Lion: Dauntless courage, Bravery, strength, ferocity, and valour

Magnolia: Nobility, perseverance, love of nature

Moon: Serene power over mundane actions

Estoile (star with six wavy points (Ours has 8, go figure)): Celestial goodness; noble person

Mullet 5 point(Star): Divine quality from above; mark of third son CompassDirection Roundles: (I assume these are the little thingies just under neath the star that I made from moons in my animation.  Gold or yellow: bezants or byzantine coins (worthy of trust or treasure) White: plate (generosity) Green: pomme (apple) Purple: golpe (wounded) Blue: hurt or wortleberry Black: pellet, ogress, or gunstone (cannon ball)Red: torteau (communion wafer or manchet cake)Tawney: orange (tennis ball) Annulet (finger ring)Fidelity; commitment