Giraldus Cambrensis was an early English historian. He was born about 1146. His proper name waa Gerald de Barry, and he was son of William de Barry, a Norman noble of Pembrokeshire. He was educated under his uncle, the Bishop of St. David's, and afterwards at the University of Paris. He returned in 1172, and was appointed Archdeacon of St. David's. His uncle dying soon after, Gerald was elected to succeed him, but the king refused to confirm the appointment, and Gerald withdrew to Paris, where he was appointed professor of canon law. In the following year (1180) he returned to England, where he was required to administer the bishopric of St. David's, the proper bishop having proved himself incompetent. He discharged this office for four years, and was then appointed a royal chaplain.
As companion to the king's son, Prince John, he went to Ireland in 1185, where he collected the materials for his Topography of Ireland (Topographia Hibernian). He afterwards drew up a similar work on Wales (Itinerarium Cambriae). After the departure of Richard I for Palestine, Gerald remained to conduct the affairs of the government, but in 1192 retired to Lincoln for purposes of study. He was again elected to the see of St. David's, but Richard I prevented his installation. He now retired from the world, and refused the bishopric when again offered to him. The year of his death is unknown. He was a person of great vanity and ambition, and was also remarkable for his credulity. The De Rebus a se Gestis, which, with others of his minor works, is published in Wharton'a Anglia Sacra, contains the most remarkable instances of the author's vanity and self-esteem. Research Giraldus Cambrensis
In heraldry, canting arms (also known as allusive arms or punning arms) are bearings in the nature of a rebus alluding to the name of the bearer. Thus, the Castletons bear three castles, and PopeAdrian IV (Nicholas Breakspeare) bore a broken spear on his coat of arms. Canting arms were respected until the reign of James I, after that they fell into disrepute. Research Canting Arms
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Research Giraldus Cambrensis
