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During the crusades, the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, nobles and knights from many different regions and provinces of Europe were brought together in their quest to take the Holy Land from the Muslims. They felt a need to distinquish themselves from each other so they began to paint pictures on their shields. These pictures developed into coats of arms.
A coat of arms was usually only issued to a person of the nobility or upper class. Most Coulthart families were tenant farmers or common laborers who did not have a coat of arms. However, according to Alfred Coulthard's book "A Coulthard! The History of a Surname" there were six coat of arms issued to various Coulthart families over the years, three which were issued during the 18th and 19th centuries. Click on any coat of arms below to see a larger picture of it.
Arms of Coulthard of Scotby granted in 1784 to James Coulthard of Scotby, Cumbria, England. This coat of arms consists of three Catherine wheels. The Catherine wheel was named after St. Catherine who was sentenced to be killed on a spiked wheel. When she was placed on it, her bonds were miraculously loosed and the wheel broke, its spikes flying off and killing many onlookers.
Arms of Coulthart of Coulthart and Collyn granted in 1846 to William Coulthart of Collyn, Dumfrieshire, Scotland. This coat of arms consists of the three horses the family was allegedly bound to furnish the King in times of war.
Arms of Coulthart of Lancaster granted in 1859 to John Ross Coulthart of Manchester, Lancastershire, England. This coat of arms consists of a horse and a water bouget.
Arms of Coulthurst of Gargrave.
Arms of Coulthard (al Coulter) of Lesbury, Alnwick, England. This coat of arms also consists of three Catherine wheels.
Arms of Coutard of England, France, Guernsey and Ireland. It is said to be descended from an English soldier remaining behind in France at the end of the Hundred Years Wars (1337-1453) but whose family was forced to flee to Ireland during the Hugenout persecution.
The descendants of John Coulthart (1779-1852) of Cummertrees, Scotland identify most with the coat of arms granted to John Ross Coulthart's father, William Coulthart, because he came from the towns of Collyn and Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Scotland not far from Cummertrees. His coat of arms consists of the three horses the Coulthart family was allegedly bound to furnish the King in times of war. During the Coulthart reunion in 1998 we decided to adopt this coat of arms as our own, however we decided to change the meaning. To us the horse on the bottom of the coat of arms represents Scotland, the land of our ancestors. The band in the center represents the ocean which separates the Old World from the New World. The two horses on the top represent the two branches of the family in North America, the Canadians and the Americans.
