Arms of Meade/Mede of Lofts Hall, Wenden Lofts, Essex: Sable, a chevron between three pelicans or vulning themselves gules, as seen on mural monument in St Margaret's Church, Felbrigg, Norfolk (File:St Margaret's church - memorial - geograph.org.uk - 724611.jpg), to Thomas Windham (1571-1653) whose second wife was "Elizabeth, a daughter of John Mede of Lofts in Essex, Knight Bachelor", as is stated in the inscription. (Blazon per Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.675 "Meade of Essex"). This is one of a group of similar arms (featuring a chevron between three pelicans vulning) for the families of Meade, Meadows and Culme, all of which surnames signify agricultural land used for grazing. The reason is unclear, not apparently canting arms; possibly all of common descent, possibly Culme was the original family (a family called de Culm appears to have originated at the manor of Columb John (anciently written Culm) in Devonshire in the 13th century, per Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.170, and the Culme/Columbe family later held the manor of Molland Champson in Devon, pp.418-9) and vpossibly arious cadet branches differenced both arms and surname.
own work, using File:PelicanVulningHerself.svg by Lobsterthermidor (talk) 02:14, 4 January 2022 (UTC)
Lobsterthermidor (talk) 02:14, 4 January 2022 (UTC)