- 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.
Stewart McBain of Glenbain
Glenbain, Saskatchewan
Registration of Arms
April 15, 2021
Vol. VII, p. 349
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Quarterly, 1st Or a lion rampant Gules, 2nd Argent a dexter hand Gules, 3rd Argent a sword palewise proper, 4th Or a lymphad Azure sails furled proper flagged and oars elevated in saltire Gules, overall a three-point label Vert charged with three cross-crosslets fitché Argent;
Crest
A demi-wildcat salient proper gorged with a three-point label Vert charged with three cross-crosslets fitché Argent, on the sinister leg a Highland targe Gules;
Motto
TOUCH NOT A CATT BOT A TARGE;
Symbolism
Arms
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The shield is that of the chief of Clan McBain. The quartered arrangement and charges such as the lion, the lymphad and the hand are commonly used in coats of arms from the Highlands of Scotland. The addition of a green label and the cross-crosslets fitché create a difference from the chief’s arms to indicate that Mr. McBain had served as chief but resigned his position in favour of his cousin.
Crest
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The wildcat with the targe is the crest of the chief of Clan McBain, and is similar to the wildcat of the crest of the Clan Chattan, of which the McBains were originally a sept. The addition of a green label and the cross-crosslets fitché distinguishes this crest from that of the current chief.
Motto
This Scots phrase, meaning “Do not touch the cat without a shield,” is the motto of Clan McBain and is a variation on that of Clan Chattan.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on December 11, 2021, in Volume 155, page 5668 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Not Available.
Painter
Court of the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh / Cour du roi d’armes Lord Lyon, Édimbourg
Calligrapher
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Recipient Information
Individual
The recipient’s emblems were originally recorded in the records of the Court of the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh, Scotland, 8 March 1960.