At least two different Sisson coats of arms have been found published
in old newspapers and other sources.
But are they "legitimate" or "real" or ..... ?
The subject of "coats of arms" has generated controversy among genealogy
researchers. In general, coats of arms
should be considered a "fun" thing rather than anything "official."
Some good websites with insight on the issue are:
http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/3538.asp
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/faq.htm
http://www.CyndisList.com/myths.htm
(scroll down the page a bit)
Rob Sisson of Sturgis, Michigan, has contacted the College of Arms in
London with direct inquiries specifically about
a Sisson coat of arms. He received a report from H. E. Paston-Bedingfeld
(the York Herald) on April 18, 2000, stating that
a search of the records showed an official register of Grants made
or confirmed to "Sisson" was limited to a single individual currently
living in Yorkshire. Mr. Bedingfeld states that the entries in Burke's
_The General Armory_ are not listed in any official source.
So those published coats of arms that you see from time to time don't
have a historical basis. But they're pretty! So don't pay
for a copy, but enjoy it if you run across it!
****
A Sisson researcher in New Zealand descends from a Sisson family originating
in the south of France. Marcus Jacob Sisson was born in France and was
educated in Gloucester, England, at Segrave House. One letter notes a brother
Jonathan of Marcus, returning from war. Marcus had an only son Charles
Philip Sisson. Charles' mother writes in a letter in the 1820s about hosting
a ball for 60 people, and little Charles peeping through the balustrade
on the stairs. This family has a family crest that has passed down through
the family to the present day, and is used on cutlery, jewelry, and a seal.
(added April 13, 2002)