Arms registration with the American College of Heraldry

Swedish Version of Blazon

Henric from the Swedish Heraldry Society was kind enough to assist me in translating my arms to Swedish! Now I just need $600 to fall from the sky so I can register my arms with them!


Sköld: I blått fält ett askträd med tre rötter och med stammen genomborrad av en sinistervänd pil, allt av guld.

Hjälmprydnad: En uppstigande häst av silver, med skuldran belagd med en av en sinistervänd pil vid midjan genomborrad bokstaven R, allt av svart.

Roth Family of Ludvika

I am working on compiling information and images about the Ludvika branch (my branch) of the Roth family ( desended from Benjamin Roth of Saxony ) in Sweden.  I will update this blog as I aquire more information and images.

How we came to Ludvika:

Carl Reinhold Roth was born November 18, 1797 in Lower Fösked. His career began in Stockholm, where he was employed by the merchant's firm Netterblad & Åbom. After some time he moved to Vij Ironworks in Ockelbo where his future father in law, John Alexis Atkins, was a famous Ironmaster (ironworks owner). Carl Reinhold married the first time on Wednesday, September 14, 1825 on the Wii use with Johanna Sophia Wilhelmina Atkins. She probably died in childbirth because records show her daughter was born and died almost simultaneously. Mother and daughter are buried in the cemetery Ockelbo. After John Atkins’ death in 1826, Reinhold took over as Ironmaster. In 1827 he married Augusta Jacobina Setter Hay, a merchant's daughter from Stockholm, and in 1831 established himself as a merchant there.

In 1836 he and Fredrik Langenberg each bought a third of  Ludvika Ironworks from Wetter Anders Dahl. In 1841 Reinhold was able to purchase the remaining third and then owned ⅔ of the Ironworks. The final third of the mill was bought by his children from Langenberg's heirs after Carl Reinhold’s death in 1858.

Ludvika Ironworks had three forges and six hearths. They got their pig iron from their own foundries, which in turn got the ore from their own mines. Though Reinhold became overseer of the ironworks, he continued to live in Stockholm and utilized the Ludvika estate only as a summer residence.

Carl participated as a member of Borgerskapet (Burgher / merchant social class) in the 1847-48 Riksdag (parliament) and was one of 50 most senior. In the 1856 Riksdag he was the eldest. He was also a member of St. Mary Magdalene parish church council.

Reinhold was in his time one of Stockholm's more prominent businessmen. He also owned Skogsegen (Judge Hörneåfor’s ironworks in Västerbotten), devoted himself to the nascent sawmill industry, and was  shipowner of the Augusta (named for his second wife).

Source: Kristoffer Huldt's översikt av släkten Roth (Overview of the Roth Family)

Personalized Viking Shield

So a while back Kathy McClurg from the American Heraldry Society forum showed off a shield she had purchased from Shields Of Rouen of Melbourne Australia.  I was instantly sure that I would be doing the same at some point.  It finally arrived today and I am quite pleased.  The boss was made by the Jelling Dragon of York, England.

My Arms

Ever since my wife and I returned from our trip to Sweden this past June-July I have been studying, learning and working on heraldry and a coat of arms for myself / my father.  I have finally finished them and I am quite satisfied.  Much of the credit in coaching me and assisting in the design process goes to the fantastic members of The American Heraldry Society.  The following emblazonments were done by Alexandru Draghici of Romania.  He was really great to work with and I feel he did a great job for not really having much experience with traditional heraldry.

Blazon:Azure, an Ash Tree eradicated with three roots, its trunk transfixed by an arrow point to sinister, all Or. Above a shield is placed a helmet with mantling Azure doubled Or, and on a wreath Or and Azure is set for a crest, a demi-horse forcené Argent, charged on the shoulder with a letter "R" transfixed at the base of the bowl by an arrow point to sinister Sable.

Overt meanings:
-The Azure and gold are a reference to the colors of Sweden where I was raised and where the vast majority of my family still lives. 
-The tree is Yggdrasil, a second reference to my Nordic heritage and its three roots are a canting to the Swedish pronunciation of my last name (Rot) which means root in Swedish.
-The arrow is a reference to the Roth family mark, which can be seen in the crest and has been in use for over 100 years.
-The horse is a saxon steed. The Roth family came to Sweden through Benjamin Roth who came from Saxony in 1706.

Extended meanings:
-The tree and the arrow together make a cross-like structure with is both a reference to the Christian cross and the flag of Sweden.
-The three roots of Yggdrasil are also a reference to the trinity of God.