In his introduction to the Genealogy published in 1881 Robert Henry Eddy wrote, "The author has made considerable effort to obtain the 'Armorial Bearings' of Eddy; having sent therefore to the Herald's College of London. He has been informed that the arms are not to be found therein; but from the best authorities, the shield had upon it three old men's heads couped at the shoulders. One branch had three cross-croslets in the shield, with a cross-croslet and dagger saltierwise for the crest; the motto being 'Crux mihi grata quies'. As only those who were in the holy wars were entitled to have a cross in their armorial bearings, it is fair to presume that, as the Eddy family is a very ancient one (Eady being a name found in Domesday Book), some if not many of the race, like their descendants, manfully combated against irreligion and infidelity, and, having devoted the sword to the cross, found in the latter the grateful rest, as is indicated by the above admirable motto."
He did not state who the best authorities were, but in the engraving printed in his book he rejected the crosses crosslet in the shield, retaining the three old men's heads, with the crest described above. This arrangement was also followed in the commemorative tablet erected to the memory of William Eddye in 1902 in St. Dunstan's Church, in accordance with the terms of his will. It has been used by various members of the family in this country for fifty years and it also appears in Matthew's "American Armoury and Blue Book."

     The edition of Burke's "General Armory" published in 1842 does not contain the name Eddy but under the heading Edye, arms are given as follows: Ga. (another, purp.) three men's heads couped at the shoulders ar. crined gray. That is on a red (or purple) shield three men's heads in silver, with gray hair. No crest or motto is given. Under Edy, the arms are given as three boys' heads on a red shield, without motto or crest. In 1615 arms were granted to an Ady family in Kent, on the shield of which were three cherubim's heads. The crest was a stag, but no motto was mentioned. Another family, Ady, Adey, or Addy (of Kent, London, and Herefordshire), had three leopard's faces in its shield, again without a motto. The Eades family also had three leopards' faces.

     The motto, "Crux mihi grata quies" (The Cross is to me a welcome rest), is found in Burke (1884) assigned to three families, Adam, M'Adam, and Edie, all Scottish. Edie or Eadie is a Scottish diminutive of Adam. The Edie arm;, granted to David Edie of Moneaght in 1672, are apparently those referred to by Robert Henry Eddy. They are described as: Ar. three crosses crosslet fitchee gu. Crest - A cross crosslet fitchee gu and a skean in saltire ppr. Motto- Crux mihi grata quies. That is, they consisted of three red crosses crosslet, pointed at the base, on a silver shield, with a crest composed of a similar cross crosslet, crossed by a dagger (skean).

     Unfortunately, we lack one piece of evidence that might have been very helpful. Caleb Eddy, father of Robert Henry, wrote in 184o to the Rev. Ira Eddy, of Portage, Ohio: "I have in my possession a silver tankard which was brought to this country by Samuel Eddy, the Pilgrim and given to his son Caleb, who gave it to his son Caleb, who gave it to his son Caleb, who gave it to his son Benjamin, who gave it to his son Caleb, myself. I have likewise the copy original of Coat-of-Arms worn by David Eddie in the Holy Wars at Jerusalem in the 11th century." . . . It will he noted that no mention is made of any armorial engraving on the tankard, but in the article on p. 197 on Caleb Eddy, the great-grandfather of the compiler, it is stated that it had on it, beautifully engraved, armorial hearings", and also bore the mark "Caleb and Martha Eddy, 1147." In 1880 this tankard was in the possession of Robert Henry Eddy, but at his death, without issue, all trace of it was lost, and what the armorial bearings were, or of what value they would be in investigating the matter, is unknown. "The copy original of Coat-of-Arms worn by David Eddie" has also disappeared.

     The seal used by William Eddye in connection with the signature on his will has no armorial bearings, but in the list of articles displayed at the Bell St. Chapel during the Reunion of 1800, mention is made of a "Coat-of-Arms and Crest of the Eddy family, the latter having been taken from an old silver seal remaining in possession of the family." Unfortunately there is nothing to tell us which branch it was. Certainly there was no Eddy family in Cranbrook at that time. It is much to be regretted that the reference was not more definite.

     It will be seen that we have at present no more knowledge than had Robert Henry Eddy, in fact we seemingly have less. Until further facts come to light the matter must stand as he left it, with no data available either to check his statements or to furnish a clue for further investigation.
 

Robert Henry Eddy Crest found in his 1881 Genealogy

Robert Henry Eddy wrote this in his 1881 Genealogy

The Eddys of this country, descendants of the Rev. William Eddye of Cranbrook, England, may justly feel proud of their " Genealogical Tree," whose trunk had piety, virtue, and intel­ligence for its roots, and whose branches have generally been fruitful in all that leads to worth and respectability, if not to great wealth and very exalted station.

The author has made considerable effort to obtain the " Ar­morial Bearings" of Eddy ; having sent therefore to the Herald's College of London. He has been informed that the arms are not to be found therein ; but, from the best authorities, the shield had upon it three old men's heads couped at the shoulders. One branch had three cross-croslets in the shield, with a cross-croslet and dagger saltierwise for the crest ; the motto being " Crux mihi grata quies."

As those only who were in the holy wars were entitled to have the cross in their armorial bearings, it is fair to presume that, as the Eddy family is a very ancient one (Eddy being a surname found in " Domesday Book "), some, if not many of the race, like their descendants; manfully combated against irreligion and infidelity ; and, having devoted the sword to the cross, found in the latter the grateful rest, as indicated by the above admirable motto.