In an enumeration of “strange birds” to be found in Barbadoes, there is mention of “the Egge Bird, the Cahow, the Tropick Bird, the Pemlico which presageth storms.”  America painted to the life. (The True History of the Spaniards’ Proceedings in America, by Ferdinando Gorges, Esq., Lond. 4to. 1659.)

BR.

The Arms of Godin.—­My attention has been drawn to a Query from Mr. KERSLEY, in page 439. of Vol. i., relative to the arms of Godin.  I have seen these arms blazoned variously.  Mr. Godin Shiffner bears them quarterly with his own coat of Shiffner, and blazons them thus:—­Party per fess, azure and gules, a barr or; in chief, a dexter and sinister hand grasping a cup, all proper.

I am inclined to think this is an innovation upon the original arms, as I have them painted on an old piece of china azure, a cup or.  They are here impaled with the arms of Du Fon, an ancient French family that intermarried with the Godins.

In the Theatre de la Noblesse de Brabant, I find that “Francois Godin, Secretaire ordinaire du Roy Philippe II., en grand conseil seant a Malines,” was ennobled by letters patent, dated Madrid, 7th January, 1589, and “port les armoiries suivantes, qui sont, un escu de sinople a une coupe lasalade, ou couverture ouverte d’or; ledit escu somme d’un heaume d’argent grille et lisere d’or; aux bourlet et hachements d’or et de sinople:  cimier une coupe de l’escu.”

This blazoning is corrected in the index, where the arms are stated to be “un escu de sinople a la coupe couverte d’or.”

In the Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, I find that Daniel Godin, Seigneur de Beauvois, was enobled by Philip IV. in 1623, and “les armes sont, de sinople a une coupe couverte d’or.”

In 1642, “Jean-Francois Godin, Seigneur de Baumez, Baille et haut Justicier de Reumes” (son of Francois Godin, who was ennobled by Philip II.), obtained permission from Philip IV. to alter his paternal coat, and to carry “un ecu de sinople a trois coupes couvertes d’or; cet ecu timbre d’un casque d’argent, grille, lisere, et couronne d’or, orne de ses lambrequins d’or et de sinople, et au-dessus en cimier, une tete et col de licorne au naturel.”

His son, Jaques-Francois Godin, appears afterwards to have obtained the title of Baron.

The earliest mention I can find of the Godin arms is in 1588, when Christopher Godin carried “de sinople a une coupe couverte d’or.”  He was a son of Jacques Seigneur d’Aubrecicourt and of Francoise Lettin, and brother to the first-named Francois Godin.  There appears to have been another brother, Jaques; and they were all three ennobled by Philip II., probably for their public services, as Christopher was Conseiller et Receveur-general des Domaines et Finances des Pays-Bas; Jacques, Conseiller et Maitre de la Chambre des Comptes en Hollande; and Francois, Secretaire du Grand Conseil a Malines.