Many of the author's correspondents have enquired about the
existence of coats of arms for the family. Alternatively they have shown her coats of arms which they claim as
their own, having paid large sums of money to a business specialising in
producing a coat of arms for a family of a particular name.
It must be stated that the rules governing the right to bear
arms are complicated and strict. Generally, however, one can only lay claim to a particular coat of arms
if one can legally prove legitimate descent in the male line from the person to
whom the arms were originally granted. A Coat of Arms does not “belong” to a name, it belongs to a particular
person within a family with that name.
The coats of arms associated with the FOSKETTs can be divided
into two categories. First the ancient
arms associated with the mediaeval name of FOXCOTT, FOXCOTE or FOSCOTT and
secondly more modern arms associated with the name FOSKETT. In the latter cases unless there are known
living male descendants of the FOSKETTs to whom the arms were granted, no
living FOSKETTs are able to claim these arms as their own. Unfortunately, the spread of these arms has
occurred due to the unscrupulous peddling of Coats of Arms to the unwary.
The Coats of Arms
Emblazon:
Quarterly, Ermine and gules, an arrow in bend sinister point upwards
between in the first and fourth quarters a lion rampant.
(Ref: Papworths Ordinary of British Armorials)
Owner: This coat of arms was granted to Lieutenant Colonel
Joseph Foskett of Rosehill, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire
(1798-1875), Justice of the Peace and son of Joseph and
Catherine Foskett. Lt Col Joseph Foskett was married to Mary Slack and they had no living
children. For this reason there are no Fosketts who can claim
this coat of arms as their own.
Emblazon: Or, a bend chequy, gules and argent between two cotises of the second.
Crest: A broken spear in pale, the end hanging in bend.
(Ref: Papworth's Ordinary of Arms;
Robson's British Heraldry or Cabinet; Armorial Bearings of the Nobility
and Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland; Fairbairn's Crests)
Owner: It is believed that this coat of arms belonged to Joseph
Foskett of More Place, Spitalfields, London (1760-1840). He
became an extremely wealthy man, making his fortune in weaving.
All his sons attended Oxford University where, on enrolment, they were
stated as being from an armigerous family (a family with arms).
One of these sons was Joseph Foskett with the coat of arms listed
above. Despite having 7 sons, none of them produced a male
heir, so this coat of arms also has no living Foskett claimants.
It is also believed to be this Joseph Foskett who tried to disguise the
humble beginnings of his branch of the family, by claiming that they
were originally French Huguenots who had escaped from the persecutions
in France. They were certainly non-conformists, but from other
records it can be shown that the family came from Hitchin in
Hertfordshire and probably before that from Buckinghamshire.