USE OF CREST

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 July 1932, Page 8

USE OF CREST

TAX TO BE PAID. LONDON, June 15. Frank Lane, ironmonger, Faringdon, Berks, was summoned at the local police court yesterday for using certain armorial hearings without a licence contrary'to the Revenue Act, 1869. Mr. B. James stated that Lane used armorial bearings on notepaper for which ho had taken out no licence. After the Commonwealth ws established in England, Charles 11. made a desperate effort to regain his crown, an effort which culminated in his defeat at the Battle of Worcester. The King escaped and afterwards accompanied Mistress Jane Lane on horseback as her servanf to the coast, and crossed to the Continent. ’ ' -?■

Some years afterwards, when the King returned to the Throne, the Lanes were granted two additions to the family coat-of-arms, the arms of England on a canton and later a strawberry roan horse holding at its feet the Royal crown, it being on a horse of this colour that Charles escaped. The Lanes claimed that when armorial bearings were taxed by Parliament the Royal arms were specially exempted and the family claimed exemption. ' Mr. James contended that iri regard to armorial bearings only the Royal Family and certain persons were exempt from tax by virtue of office?"' Mr. Bernard Haines, defending, quoted an expert on heraldry as having written" in 1901: “The Lanes are the only family in England who are <iot taxed for their coat-of-arms. This ’ is owing to Charles the Second having granted as augmentations the arms of England, which are exempt from tax:ation.” Evidence was given that defendant and his branch of the family had used the crest for years without being tax-

- h case was dismissed on payment of one guinea costs, on defendant giving an undertaking not to use the armorial bearings without paving tax.