- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Martín Macouzet García
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Grant of Arms, with differences to Andrea Macouzet Rodriguez, David Macouzet Rodriguez and Martín Macouzet Rodriguez
September 15, 2010
Vol. V, p. 553
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Argent a tau cross pommeté in foot Azure, on a chief Gules a lion’s face erased Or between two bezants;
Crest
Issuant from a Tarascan feathered coronet Gules a demi-wolf Argent holding in its dexter paw a fleam Azure;
Motto
SAPIENTIA • FORTITUDO • CONSTANTIA
Differenced Arms for Andrea Macouzet Rodriguez, daughter of Martín García Macouzet
The Arms of Martín García Macouzet with the bezants replaced by two billets Or; This individual will inherit the Arms of the Recipient following his death;
Differenced Arms for David Macouzet Rodriguez, son of Martín García Macouzet
The arms of Martín García Macouzet with the bezants replaced by two annuli Or;
Differenced Arms for Martin Macouzet Rodriguez, son of Martín García Macouzet
The Arms of Martín García Macouzet with the bezants replaced by two mullets Or;
Symbolism
Arms
Blue and red are the principal colours of the arms of the city of Lyon, France, and of the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Thus they honour Dr. Macouzet’s ancestor, Jean-François Macouzet, a physician from Lyon who settled in Mexico and participated in the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine of Michoacán in the early nineteenth century. The colours also represent Martín Macouzet’s own undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, where blue is used in academic regalia to denote graduates of the Faculty of Chemistry, and graduate research at McGill University, whose arms are red and white. The gold charges (D’or in French blazon) are a pun on the given name of Dr. Macouzet’s wife, Dora Rodriguez Maya. The T-shape represents a stylized aerial view of a yácata, a pre-Conquest Tarascan temple representative of Michoacán. Once erected by the Tarascans to honour their agrarian gods, here the yácata honours Dr. Macouzet’s academic research in food science. On the chief, the gold circles represent Ignacia Procopia Sornoza y Herrera, the wife of Jean-François Macouzet; family tradition indicates that she was descended from the last indigenous Tarascan king of Michoacán, Tzintzincha Tangaxoan, who was forced to pay tribute to the Conquistadors in the form of round shields made of silver and gold. A lion appears on the arms of Lyon, the place of origin of Jean-François Macouzet, and on the arms of the province of Quebec, the homeland of Martín Macouzet’s three children.
Crest
To Dr. Macouzet, the wolf epitomizes the values expressed in the motto. The crown of feathers appears in the arms of Michoacán and represents the family’s Mexican heritage, while the fleam (an antique lancet) represents Jean-François Macouzet’s contributions to the Mexican medical profession.
Motto
Meaning “Wisdom, fortitude, constancy”, the motto emphasizes values that characterized Jean-François Macouzet and which Dr. Macouzet wishes to transmit to his own children.
Differenced Arms for Andrea Macouzet Rodriguez, daughter of Martín García Macouzet
The gold rectangles resemble sheet music or blank paper, representing Andrea’s interest in music and the arts.
Differenced Arms for David Macouzet Rodriguez, son of Martín García Macouzet
The gold rings represent the circle of life, signifying David’s interest in nature and the natural sciences.
Differenced Arms for Martin Macouzet Rodriguez, son of Martín García Macouzet
The stars represent Martín’s participation in sports and his winning spirit. Used here as a mark of the third child, the star is the English cadency mark for the third son.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 26, 2011, in Volume 145, page 1076 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Forrest Pass, Saguenay Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Melissa Aberin
Calligrapher
Luc Saucier
Recipient Information
Individual