Scottish heraldic flavor

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

May I ask in general, in this day and age, what purpose is there in ordinary individuals getting their own coat of arms ?

Well, most people coming before one of the granting heraldic authorities (Canada, England, Ireland, or South Africa) do so to strengthen the links between themselves, their children, and other, more distantly related members of their family. A coat of arms becomes, in effect, a technicolor bookmark in their personal family genealogy. Many people see modern society as breaking down the traditional values embodied in the concept of "family", and they turn to heraldry as one way of pulling their kindred closer together.

Given the wide spread interest in genealogy-- more people in the USA are engaged in genealogical pursuits than almost any other past time-- coats of arms have reverted to their original purpose, that of identifying members of families and their relationships to each other.

Finally, in a society where it is becoming increasingly difficult for the ordinary citizen to pass on accumulated wealth from one generation to the next, some view coats of arms as the only thing (besides their name) that they may be able to leave to their posterity.

As far as a utilitarian purpose for heraldry is concerned-- it is perhaps the very best way of marking and identifying property, especially valuable (and highly portable) property. One of the most common uses is as a bookplate-- something more elegant than scrawling one's name across the inside of the cover in ball point pen. The list of ways in which heraldry my be used in the present day is endless, and only limited by the imagination.