Cecil Johnson took early retirement in 1996 after twenty-five years as Headmaster of a comprehensive school in County Durham.  Author of four French schoolbooks and a new paperback, 'The Sum of Two Squares', sometime District Councillor, he lives on his farm in North Durham.

E-mail : Kilmaine@live.co.uk

Arms : Or on a Chevron Gules between three open Books on the dexter side of each four Seals proper three Scalpels each crossed in saltire with a Dental Mirror also proper on a Chief Azure between two Miner's Picks each crossed in saltire by a Shovel Argent a Cornfield Poppy proper    Crest : upon a Helm with a Wreath Or and Gules a Bull statant Gules armed unguled and queued Or on each hindquarter a Billet Argent holding in the mouth a Cornfield Poppy slipped and leaved proper Mantled Gules doubled or        Motto : Per Scientiam Progredi

The Arms are an attempt to capture the past and the present of our branch of the Johnson's. Our family originated in the Borders, notably in the Berwick-upon-Tweed area, where they had lived at least as early as 1711 before moving to County Durham in 1848.

The main colours of the shield are blue and gold, as are those of County Durham.

The crossed pick and shovel design is taken directly from my father’s silver medal awarded in 1916 for not losing a single shift in five years, and represents my homage to my parents and to many generations of coal miners in our family.

The poppy was my dear wife, Ellen’s favourite flower and represents my homage to her and everything she did to help us get established.

The chevron represents the building of our family home, and the crossed dentist’s mirror and surgeon’s scalpel represent the professions followed by my sons, Paul and David.

The three open books represent my degree qualifications and those of Paul and David.

The crest is a young bull with a poppy in its mouth and refers to the fact that my wife used to take the young bulls to the cattle market at Carlisle. The white patch is a heraldic reference to the lot number which is stuck on each animal when it enters the auction ring.

The motto at the bottom, Per Scientiam Progredi, means "Advancement through knowledge" and is indicative of our family’s progress over the years.

                                                                                             Cecil Johnson

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Per fess dancetty of two points downwards Argent and dancetty Azure and Or in chief a lion passant guardant Gulesarmed and langued Azure grasping in the dexter forepaw a scroll Proper.   A demisphere dancetty or and Sable stantant thereon a yellow wagtail proper. SEMPER VIGILANS Above the shield behind which is draped a feudo-mantle Gules doubled Argent fur edged of miniver and collar ermine fastened on the right shoulder with five spherical buttons Or, is placed a chapeau Gules furred Ermine.       

The dancetty pattern of the shield is allusive to the name of the bearer. Waglande is old English for "shaking ground" and is from a small hamlet in Devon from which it is thought the name derives and dates back to at least the time of Domesday.  The lion is taken from the arms of the Meager family.  It grasps a scroll alluding to the armiger's profession as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature.    Again the wagtail on the crest is punning, reflecting a similar nickname borne by male members of the Wagland family over many years.

                                                                                 Douglas Wagland

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Arms : Argent, a saltire Sable cantoned between in chief and base an apple Gules, on a chief of the Last three cushions Or, all within a bordure invected Or Crest : Within a winged spur, the rowel upwards Or, an apple Gules. Motto : FORTITER PARATUS

The arms were granted by the Lord Lyon in 1988 in honor of my great-great grandfather Thomas Johnstone, who immigrated to the U.S.A. in the 1840s, and whose father, William Johnstone, is believed to have come from Applegarth Parish, Dumfriesshire. Although the Grantee was of English birth and I could not satisfactorily document his Scottish ancestry in my Petition, the Lord Lyon granted the arms on the basis that the Grantee was an overseas British subject.

The arms are based on those of the Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, Chief of the Johnstones. The apples allude to the putative origin of the family in Applegarth Parish, as well as to the many apples which are grown in western New York State, where I now reside. The motto answers that of the Chief: Nunquam Non Paratus.

The arms were matriculated to my father, who is still living, in January 1989 and the bordure invected Or reflects his actual descent from the Grantee. During my father's lifetime, my arms have a three-pointed label.  

                                                                                            Jeffrey M. Johnstone

N.B. Below are displayed the Arms of Jeffrey's son, David Rogers Johnstone, a member of the New York State Bar, who is currently living in Washington, D.C.  Note the differencing of the Arms by means of the five-pointed label.

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