Ridgely Family Coat of Arms
The Ridgely coat of arms can be seen throughout the Mansion. Although such heraldic devices are more common among European aristocracy, they are found among some prominent American families. A coat of arms symbolizes social stature as well as family alliances. This symbol of status and family distinction became an essential part of the Ridgely family's environment.
Charles Ridgely Carnan was named as Captain Charles Ridgely's principal heir under the condition he change his surname to Ridgely. This was accomplished by an act of the Maryland Legislature in 1790. Ridgely and his descendants were also granted the right "to use and bear the coat of arms and armorial bearings of the family of Ridgely," described as "argent on a chevron sable three mullets pierced of the first." The earliest extant example of the Ridgely arms at Hampton is the heraldic shield on several pieces of silver ordered by Charles Carnan Ridgely in the early 1790s.
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The family used the shield with the "buck's head erased" (stag's head) crest or the crest alone more often. Most of Hampton's silver flatware and hollowware made in the 19th century was embellished with the crest, including wine coolers, butter dishes, a cruet stand, soup tureens, dish domes, and platters. Charles Carnan Ridgely's porcelain dinner service ordered in the 1820s from Feuillet of Paris has both shield and crest. An English porcelain dessert service of the same date made by the Coalport factory has only the stag's head.
The crest is on variety of objects; from a barouche carriage to small buttons on servants' livery, from stained glass windows in the Great Hall to stationery, from cast iron entrance gates to pocket handkerchiefs. Stag's heads embellished hall chairs, curtain tie-backs, window cornices, wall plaques, horse harnesses, letter openers, book plates, paper weights, cuff links, manicure sets, chamber sticks, table linens, bath towels, and crocheted afghans.
