U.S. Heraldic Registry
Registration of contemporary and historical American heraldry
James Brown MacLea
Registration number 20080120A
This certifies that the heraldic arms of James Brown MacLea (1859-1926) which are offered in memoriam and conveyed to his descendants are registered and described by the blazon below
Biographical information
James Brown MacLea was born 29 Oct 1859 in the Calton
section of Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Peter McLea and Janet Brown
of Glasgow and grandson of John McLea and Janet McKay, born on the
Isle of Bute, Scotland. James, a jeweler, along with his wife
Margaret Turner, came to the United States in the early 1880s. He and
his family lived briefly in Chicago, Illinois, and later in Paterson,
New Jersey. In Paterson, Margaret died following childbirth and James
and his seven living children moved to settle in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, about 1899. His four girls (Margaret, Janet, Mary,
Isabel) and three boys (James, Peter, and Alexander) all left
descendants that established a substantial MacLea/McLea presence in
Boston and spread through New England and beyond. James married Mary
Hughes, his second wife, also a native of Glasgow, in 1911, but they
had no children. During his life, James worked first as a jeweler and
later as a machinist. James died on 19 Dec 1926, in Belmont,
Massachusetts.
Design rationale
The arms are derived from the granted Scottish arms
of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLea (or Livingstone) and are differenced
to indicate that the MacLea family of Boston has no known relationship
with the Chiefly line. In Scottish parlance, this is known as an indeterminate cadet of that family.
The Chiefly arms feature a first quarter with the rampant lion, symbol
of the ancient celtic Kingdom of Dalriada. The second and third
quarters feature the Azure cross and hand Gules, representative of St.
Moluag, the purported founder of 100 monasteries in the western
islands and highlands of Scotland. The Chiefs of the Clan MacLea are
the considered to be the coarbs, or successors, of St. Moluag, and
today bear his ancient staff, known as the Bachuil. The fourth
quarter of the Chiefly arms feature the salmon, an ancient celtic
symbol of wisdom.
In the arms of the family of James Brown MacLea, two differences have
been introduced to differentiate the Boston branch of the family. The
first is that the fourth quarter of the arms has been completely
replaced. In place of the salmon is a New England pine tree
eradicated. The tree is used as a symbol of New England, the adopted
home of James and his descendants, due to its original use as a symbol
in the colonial New England flag. The second difference in James
Brown MacLea's arms is that an Azure cross has been introduced over
the entire coat to better tie together the four quarters and also as
further reference to the Cross of St. Moluag, patron of the MacLea
clan.
The crest chosen is entirely different from that of the Chiefly line
in Scotland. A sparrowhawk has been chosen as the symbol of James
Brown MacLea and his migration from Scotland to the United States.
The term sparrowhawk is a term in the field of jewelers for the small
anvil used in the making of jewelry. This is especially appropriate
as a symbol for James because his father and grandfather before him,
Peter and John McLea, were Master Blacksmiths in Glasgow. The
sparrowhawk in the crest is carrying in its beak a jeweled gold ring.
This ring is a further reference to James' work as a jeweler and also
serves to mark James' city of origin: Glasgow. The arms of Glasgow
feature a salmon carrying a golden ring, a reference to an old story
about St. Mungo, patron of Glasgow. In the MacLea crest, the
sparrowhawk can be imagined to be taking the ring (his skill as a
jeweler and his origins and family in Glasgow) across the ocean to his
new home in North America.
Finally, the motto, "Now Is The Time" is a reference to James choosing
to act decisively and move with his wife to the United States at a
time when the rest of his family stayed in Glasgow. Furthermore, it
is a constant call to action and exemplifies the work, diligence, and
forward-thinking of James and his descendants in meeting the
challenges faced in their every endeavor.
Registered by
Kyle S. MacLea
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