The Babcock Coat of Arms

In the tradition of heraldry, there is no such thing as a “Family Crest” or “Family Coat of Arms”.  A specific coat of arms was awarded to one person, inherited by one descendant, and possessed by only one person at a time.  Here we use the loose definition that a coat of arms awarded to someone with the family surname is a “Family Coat of Arms”.  So there is considerable diversity concerning the Babcock Coat of Arms.  In the interest of variety and since all the alternatives are yet to be researched, different versions are presented here.

One Version

The Babcock Coat of Arms is officially documented in Burkes General Armory.  The original description of the shield is as follows:

"Barry of six ar. and sa. on a canton of the last, a leopard’s
face or."

Translated, it reads,

"Divided into six horizontal bars of
silver and black; on a black upper corner, a gold leopard’s
face."

The original description of the Crest is as follows:

"A dexter hand erect pointing with two fingers to the sun ppr."

Translated, it reads,

"A right hand placed vertically,
pointing with two fingers to the sun; all naturally colored."

No motto is provided.

The following description of the Babcock Coat of Arms is by Rev. Charles Henry Babcock, D. D. as published in the front of Babcock Genealogy by Stephen Babcock.  In his 1903 article he relates that he has discovered that this Coat of Arms seems to be a composite of those of the same general family.  The version below is a description of the one that hung in the dining room of his grandfather, John Babcock, of New Haven, Connecticut.

From Babcock Genealogy
by Stephen Babcock

Summary: The description of the shield is as follows:

"Barry of Argent; three pale cocks on a Fesse cotised, gules."

Translated, it reads,

"Silver with three pale cocks on a broad horizontal red band with a narrow red band above and below."

The description of the Crest is:

"A cock’s head."

The motto is:

"Deus spes mea."

Translated, 

"God is my Hope."