- 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.
Jeffrey Robert Cairns
St. Catharines, Ontario
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge, with differences to James Robert Cairns and Matthew Andrew Cairns
August 15, 2005
Vol. IV, p. 515
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Per fess wavy Gules and Azure overall three chevronels interlaced, in chief three martlets Or;
Crest
And upon a helmet mantled Gules doubled Or within a wreath of these colours, this Crest: Issuant from a coronet of maple leaves and trillium flowers Or, a demi-dragon Gules grasping in its dexter claw a sword Or and charged on the shoulder with an escallop Argent;
Motto
NON SIBI SED PATRIÆ;
Flag
A banner of the Arms;
Badge
An escallop Argent ensigned by a coronet erablé Or;
Differenced Arms for James Robert Cairns, son of Jeffrey Robert Cairns
The Arms of Jeffrey Roberts Cairns debruised of a three-point label Or; this individual will inherit the Arms of the Recipient following his or her death;
Differenced Arms for Matthew Andrew Cairns, son of Jeffrey Robert Cairns
The Arms of Jeffrey Roberts Cairns within a bordure Or;
Symbolism
Arms
The chevronels allude to the idea of the name “Cairns,” a cairn being a pile of items stacked together. They also represent the three males in the family, as well as belief in the Holy Trinity. The blue wavy base represents the importance in the life of Mr. Cairns of his experiences at Balsam Lake in the Kawarthas region in Ontario by using the chevronels to represent stylised wave crests on the blue lake. In addition, red and blue are the regimental colours of The Lincoln and Welland Regiment. The gold martlets on a red field are traditional elements associated with other designs for Cairns found in ordinaries of arms.
Crest
The demi-dragon alludes to the family origins of both parents of Mr. Cairns. His mother’s family comes from Wales, while his father’s comes from the City of Dundee, Scotland, which has two dragons as supporters. The coronet signals the honour of being appointed Aide-de-Camp to several Lieutenant-Governors of the Province of Ontario. The sword is held point upwards, representing active service in the armed forces of Canada. The escallop, shown in the position of a “shoulder patch,” represents the service of both Mr. Cairns and his grandfather to The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, the former having been the Commanding Officer of the regiment.
Motto
NON SIBI SED PATRIAE means “Not for one’s self but for the country.” The motto is from that of John Graves Simcoe, from which also the motto of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment is derived.
Flag
The symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.
Badge
The symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.
Differenced Arms for James Robert Cairns, son of Jeffrey Robert Cairns
James Robert Cairns, as heraldic heir-designate, bears his father’s arms differenced by a gold label during his father’s lifetime. James’ favourite colour of blue appears in the base area.
Differenced Arms for Matthew Andrew Cairns, son of Jeffrey Robert Cairns
Matthew Andrew Cairns bears his father’s arms within a gold border. Matthew’s favourite colour of red appears in the top area.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 4, 2006, in Volume 140, page 430 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Darrel Kennedy, Assiniboine Herald, assisted by the Heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Robert Grey
Calligrapher
Shirley Mangione
Recipient Information
Individual