Barry George Harden of Cowdenknowes

Registered: The International Register of Arms, 12th December 2006. Registration No. 0032.

Arms: Azure, on a fess embattled, counter-embattled Gules fimbriated Or between in chief three flowers of Cytisus Proper and in base a horse salient, a cross crosslet Argent.

Crest: On a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a Demi-horse Argent.

Motto: SAPIENTIA CURSUS VIRES

Grant: Court of the Lord Lyon, 28th June 2005. Lyon Register, volume 86, folio 22.

The Lyon Court grant of 28th June 2005 was founded upon the armiger's ownership of the barony of Cowdenknowes and featured those additaments due to him at that time in right of him being a Scottish feudal baron. During the latter part of 2006 the armiger undertook a private arrangement to surrender the barony to his son Mark John Harden who is now the baron of Cowdenknowes. Following the transfer of the barony to his son, Mr. Harden requested that his armorial bearings be shown simpliciter.

In creating these arms the armiger was faced with the difficulty of a 'blank canvas', as he was the first Harden ever to be granted arms in Scotland.

The first task he wanted to undertake was to highlight the geographical position of the Barony in the Borders of Scotland and so the counter-embattled fess represents the turbulent history of the Scottish- English borders being continually 'embattled' on both sides for centuries. Gules represents the blood which was spilt on both sides during that time.

The cross crosslet Argent was a welcomed suggestion by the Lord Lyon as a reference to the armigers maternal grandfather George Cross, who was a RSM in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards and served the regiment for forty years.

The Cytisus Flowers or 'Scotch Broom' in the chief is a new charge. This flower was made famous in the old Scottish ballad 'The Broom of Cowdenknowes', and was felt to be the perfect way to reference the Barony of Cowdenknowes in the Arms for all time.

Also included is references to the area where the armiger was raised and to his father's regiment The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, of which he was a long serving and decorated soldier, the armiger decided to place in the base 'Invicta', the White Horse of Kent, which was also the crest badge of the regiment. Invicta, in a demi-beast form is the beast set in the armigers crest.

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