The shields with armorial bearings, or
coats of arms, may well be a late addition to the room, not original. People
of the Victorian era were wild for coats of arms, and used them as symbols
of their families.The names of families connected to the Drewes, including
families from up to the 1820s are represented in the coats of arms that surround
the upper portion of the room . These include the Drewes, Moores, Prideaux,
Wynards, Fitzwilliams, and others.
Coats of arms establish the gentility of the family, and by extension their
right to rule, and status as superior to others. Coats also served as a family
symbol for flags and colors used for coaches and other public displays.
Coats of arms have specific colors, and designs that represent a family and
their history. You can find out more about this in the Activities
and Games section of this web site.
