My Arms — Château Armscroix

I pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

The Armorial Bearings of Jason Charles Burgoin

***Armorial Bearings currently in use***

Since childhood, I have had an interest in the stories and tales recorded throughout time of the knights of the bygone ages. There is just something that fascinated me to think of glorious tournaments of the Plantagenet reign, and what it would have been like to see them taking place. This is further heightened by the great amount of pageantry associated with heraldry of the Tudor dynasty. My first experience of an academic form in relation to heraldry was while visiting my maternal grandparents in the summers as a child. On the bookshelf in the room I inhabited, was what I would come to find out years later to be a staple of the heraldic readings A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davis. I spent hours during these visits reading through the 647 pages of this book and learning the basics, and that heraldry is more than just a shield to protect a knight in a battle. I still have this book today, although it’s on my bookshelf now, and consider it to be one of the treasures of my collection. As I grew older I wanted to learn more about this subject and took to the internet to see what I could find. There, among the web pages, was the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. I had found a group of people who has just as much of an interest, if not more, in heraldry as I did, and were willing to take me under their wing.

I had come now to realize that having armorial bearings of my own was achievable and not just something from the past that Dukes or heroic knights had bestowed upon them. Armorial bearings were still being granted by authorities around the world as a way of honouring people with visual identification. I pondered the idea and felt that not only did I want Arms, but that I was entitled to petition for arms. After all, being an Army Officer, and so immersed in the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, how could I not want to formalize my legacy with a Coat of Arms. Finally, in 2016, I was prepared to petition the Canadian Heraldic Authority for a grant of armorial bearings and did so in April. (you can read about the full process in the link below) My Arms were signed and sealed on December 15, 2016, of that same year, and the Letters Patent was announced in the Canada Gazette Vol. 151, p. 1304, March 25, 2017. Subsequently, they were proclaimed at the Chancellery of Honours, Rideau Hall, in Ottawa by Dr. Claire Boudreau, AIH, FRHSC, Chief Herald of Canada, on June 12, 2017. I can say that it was not only a memorable experience to have them created, but a humbling one at that, to know the history and honour that goes into having been bestowed armorial bearings. My arms very much represent me and are personal in every detail. They have, as time goes on, been used in many forms to identify me, and I know that as the years go on, I will find many ways to incorporate them into my life.

BLAZON OF ARMORIAL BEARINGS

Arms: Quarterly Sable and Gules a cross Ermine between 1st and 4th three caltrops and 2nd and 3rd a martlet Or;

Crest: A demi-tyger Gules collared, chained and holding a torch enflamed Or;

Badge: A tyger’s face Gules jessant of a Latin cross patonce Ermine;

Motto: I PASS THROUGH THIS WORLD BUT ONCE;

Artist: Mr. Robert Grey
Calligrapher: Mr. Luc Saucier

Creator: Original concept of Jason Burgoin, CD, (Arms) and Mr. Bruce Patterson, Deputy Chief Herald of Canada (Crest & Badge), assisted by Mrs. Manon Labelle, Miramichi Herald.

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Learn more

Interested in learning more about the process involved in being Granted Arms? I have shared my story here!

SYMBOLISM & MEANING OF MY ARMS

Arms: The cross indicates the armiger’s Christian faith, and the ermine pattern alludes to the ermine in the arms of Lincolnshire England, from where his paternal ancestors resided. The caltrops are a medieval weapon and thus allude to his career in the Canadian Armed Forces and interest in military history. They are places in an arrangement of two over one in Or [gold], as a reference to the fleur-de-lis in the Kingdom of France Armorial bearings where the armiger’s family emanates, and further placed in quartering 1 and 4 to draw on those of early armorial bearings of England, from the period of time when his paternal family is known to have arrived in England. The martlet, which appears in other Burgoyne arms, (Sir John Burgoyne, 1st Baronet 1641 / Gen. John Burgoyne 1722-1792) is a bird always in flight and thus represents a constant seeking of knowledge and adventure. The field of Gules [red] is the colour of the Canadian Army, while Sable [black] alludes to constancy and prudence. In addition, the arms are in a similar layout as those of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and allude to his maternal grandmother's lineage from this province of Canada.

Crest: The tiger is one of the supporters of the arms of Hamilton, Ontario, the armiger’s birthplace. The use of the heraldic form of the tiger (tyger) alludes to the armiger’s vast knowledge and passion for heraldry. The torch symbolizes enlightenment and reflects his involvement and membership in the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons fraternity. The collar and the chain, inspired by livery collars and chains of office, represent his support and loyalty to the Crown and the Sovereign, as well as his call to service in various offices of leadership.

Motto: Taken from the beginning of a Quaker proverb first recorded c. 1859. "I PASS THROUGH THIS WORLD BUT ONCE, therefore if there may be any kindness I can show or any good that I can do, to any fellow being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

Badge: The face of the heraldic tyger is taken from the crest, and the cross alludes to that in the arms. Together, these two elements link his ancestor’s past with the present.