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Gause Surname History
This is what has been promoted as the Gause family Coat of Arms. Please, regard this with a extreme amount of caution. The problem with this coat of arms is that the surname only took on the GAUSE spelling 300 years ago when the family came to the American Colonies. The Gose family (which was also spelled Gous, Gouws, and Gauche at the time) in France did have a Coat of Arms that was used during tournaments. However, it’s configuration has never been established. Allegedly, this description comes from Burke’s General Armory, but it has not been confirmed that this is the shield of the Gose family. Coats of Arms were developed starting in the Middle Ages as a means of identifying warriors in battle and tournaments. The present function of the Coat of Arms serves more to preserve traditions and family identity. There is a certain amount of controversy surrounding the use and registration of coats of arms. Traditionally, the only restriction on use of coat of arms was against consciously assuming arms already borne by another family within a given jurisdiction, when harm could ensue for the family. The problem of conflict of arms between knights is what brought heraldry into the jurisdiction of the Court of Chivalry in England in the late 14th century and is enforced to this day by the judicial system.. In France, arms were governed by "lesquelles chacun a pris a son plaisir" (each has taken at his pleasure), which can also be changed at will, subject to the same proviso about not injuring others. Heraldry started in France more or less at the same time as elsewhere, in the middle of the 12th century. Originally associated with the feudal system, it extended quickly to social classes beyond knights and nobility. The basic rule was that anyone could choose a coat of arms as long as it followed the rules of heraldry, and as long as it wasn't anyone else's coat of arms or an attempt to confer false noble status. The current French (country of origin of the family) ‘regulations’ and tradition would allow a descendent of Fabian Gose to display or wear the family coat of arms without registration to any organization.
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"AR.
Nine Mullets in Saltire GU"
