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"The Story of the Family of JOHN CLOUGH of Salisbury, Massachusetts" Published by: The John Clough Genealogical Society; pages 14, 15 &16. All rights reserved. The ancient emblem or mark of Cloughs was a mascle, and their cry was "Sine Macula Macla." John Burke quotes as his authority for the above assertion from the ancient article on the Science of Heraldry by Colomtriere which states, "I am of the opinion that the Lords of Rohan, who I believe are the first who bore these figures on their arms, assumed them because in most ancient viscounty of Rohan there are an abundance of small flints which being cut in two, this figure appears on the inside of them: the carp too which are found in fish ponds, exhibit a similar mark on their scales peculiar to this country or duchy of Rohan and Extraordinary. These circumstances so very peculiar to the country and at the same time extraordinary, the ancient lords adopted the figures for their arms and transmitted them to their posterity, giving them the name of mascles from the Latin word macula whence some of the houses have taken for their motto, 'Sine macula macla -- a mascle without a spot'. " From the above quotation, this figure and motto belong to the Clough Family as a whole and are valid emblems for any member to assume. From the above quotation, this figure and motto belong to the family as a whole and are valid emblems for any member to assume. In shape the mascle is a rhombus of diamond which in England is called a lozenge. The steel plates of mediaeval armor were lozenge shaped; the panes of many old casement windows were lozenges. In English Heraldry, the lozenge or mascle was a bearing in the form of a lozenge perforated or voided so that the field appeared through the opening. This bearing was never changed with any other. To understand the significance of the "Mascle without a spot," some explanation about the customary use of this figure is necessary. Among early merchants the mascle, meaning a spot, was adopted as a sort of trade mark to indicate an imperfection, such as a blemish in fabric or a flaw in a jewel. When ancient symbolism developed into Heraldry, first on the Continent of Europe, later into English Heraldry, as a science, the old war cries became mottos of the Houses. "Sine macla" explained that the mascle that was charged upon the escutcheon did not suggest dishonor, rather that the family was without disgrace and no sinister stain was imputed by this ancient figure. The coat-of-arms that is included in this book cannot be claimed as the insignia of the John Clough Branch of the family. From present knowledge, this is the earliest device that was assumed by a Clough. Either late in the twelfth or early in the thirteenth century Heraldry was introduced into England and Wales. After 1300 Hugh Clough of Wales was granted this insignia which descended to Sir Richard Clough at Llewene Green in Denbigh in Northern Wales before the fifteenth century. No claim to a coat-of-arms is valid unless authorized by the Officers of Arms either in London, Edinboro, or Dublin, and the right to the armorial bearings has been registered in the Bureau of Heraldry in one of these cities. To display arms without proof of ownership is a form of forgery, since in the days of chivalry the coat-of-arms was the device by which a knight in armor was recognized and the crest was equivalent to his legal signature. |