The Beaumont Project
Platt Families.
The cricketer Sir Dennis Charles Scott Compton and Nick Compton are part of this family as is the actor, David Niven's, brother.
During thes time of Sidney and Laurence Platt and there subsequent families in Natal, there was a Dr. H. T. Platt who was the district surgeon in the Ladysmith/Escourt/Newcastle/Ixopo area of Natal. I was (and still am) unable to link the families, but I am reasonably sure a link exists.
One of the legs of this family by marriage dates back to 850 AD the time of King Charlemagne.
Platt Coat of Arms
The most common crest and the crest ascribable to my family is described as:- "In front of a demi-lion rampant ppr. semée of plates, and holding between the paws a rose arg., an escallop or. Virtute et Labore" In laymans's terms "The top half of a purple rampant lion with its claws and tongue sticking out dotted randomly with white circles holding a silver rose between its paws adjacent to a gold escalop shell. The motto can be translated as "With strength/power/courage and work/effort". There are various other motto versions including "By Valour and Exertion" and the one used by Pretoria Boy's High School - "Through Courage and Labour". The "By Valour and Exertion" version seems the obvious choice!
The Encyclopædia of heraldry, or General armory of England, Scotland and Ireland by Burke, John, 1787-1848; Burke, Bernard, 1814-1892 records the following:-
PLATT (Playstow, co. Essex ; granted 6 Feb. 21 Elizabeth). Az. on a bend betw. three escallops, ar. a bezant. Crest - A shoveller, wings expanded, ppr.
PLATT (Wigan, co. Lancaster). Az. on a chev. betw. three escallops, ar. as many leopards' faces gu.
PLATT. The same Arms. Crest - A bird volant, ar. wings ar. and sa. holding in the beak an escallop of the first.
PLATT (London and Kentish Town, co. Middlesex). Or, fretty sa. plattée. Crest - A demi lion ramp. ppr. holding in the paws a plate.
PLATT. The same Arms. Crest - A garb or, banded vert.
PLATT. Vert. three quatrefoils ar. each charged with a lion's head erased, sa.
PLATT (as borne by T.P. PLATT, of Child's Hill, Hampstead, esq. and by his younger brother, the Rev. GEORGE PLATT of St. John's Wood.) Arms, &c. See Supplement.
Fairbairn's book of crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland records the following:-
Platt, of Deanwater. Chesh., a demi-wolf gu., platée, armed and langued az., holding in the dexter paw a wreath arg. and of the first. Labitur et labetur. cf 3.10.
Platt, Frederick. Esquire, of Barnby Manor. Newark. Notts. In front of a demi-lion rampant ppr. semée of plates, and holding between the paws a rose arg., an escallop or. Virtute et Labore
Platt, Sydney, J.P., Wargrave Hill. Wargrave, Berks, same crest and motto.
Platt, Colonel Henry C.B. of Gordling Llanfairfechan, same crest and motto.
Platt, James Edward, J.P. Howbury Hall, near Bedford, same crest and motto.
Platt, John Harold, 31, Pont Street. W., same crest and motto.
Platt, Samuel Radcliffe. Werneth Park. Oldham, same crest and motto.
Platt of London and Kentish Town, a lion rampant ppr., holding between the paws a plate. cf. 11. 7
Platt, John. Esquire, J.P., of Clifton Lodge, Llandudno. Carnarvorsh,, and of Warrington, Lancs. on a wreath of the colours a lamb or. resting the dexter fore-leg on a fleur-de-lis az., and holding in the mouth three cinque-foils slipped vert. Neminem metue innocens 131.8
Platt, a bird volant az., winged arg. and sa., holding in the beak an escallop of the first.
Platt of Plaistow, Essex, a shoveller with wings expended ppr.
Platt, a garb or, banded vert. 153.2
There are records of some 600 Platt family members who are no longer alive on this website. There are additional records of about 300 living members of this family in the databases as well. The living records are available on request. (See the request link below)
