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The FAMILY coat-of-arms may not be easily found in picture form at your library, mainly because it was not verified by the College of Heraldy until the 1960's (the College of Heraldy continues to verify coats-of-arms from their vast files that date back to the 400's).

What you will be able to find is the Ulster of Arms description of our family coat-of-arms:

SABLE, THREE WOLVES' HEADS, ERASED, ARGENT.
ON A CHIEF OR, LION PASSANT OF THE FIRST.

CREST: A PEGASUS COURANT, SABLE, DUCALLY GORGED OR

This is found in several Armorial publications, but you will probably have a copy of it in your library under "Burke's" "General Armory of England", ulster. Look under the spelling PRATER, OF EATON WATER, WILTS.

The family coat-of-arms was also verified by other family researchers, Mr. Stout Lillard, Member of the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. and again by Mrs. Francis C. Culver, Historical Registrar of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, MD. It was also verified by Gary Benton Prather, a family historian, with the College of Heraldy, and files at Somerset House records office in London, England (1986). And again, Gary witnessing the Arms carved in stone on the tomb of Richard Prater of Nunney, Somerset England ----- and the tomb of Judith Ivye Prater at West Kingston, Wiltshire. It was also registered by Bishop of Wilton in the General Survey of Wiltshire before 1564 at Latton Manor, Wiltshire -- the Armorial barings of George Prater "Esquire" of Latton Manor, Wiltshire.

Jonathan Prather (1630 to 1680) registered the Prater Coat-of-Arms with the College of Heraldry in Baltimore, Maryland in 1650 (then an English Colony), stating "Descendant of a long and Noble family of Latton, Wilts". Thus, the Prater Coat-of-Arms was to include his descendants which used the Prater / Prather name (including other spellings).

The CREST is also registered in "Fairbairn's Crest"
by: James Fairbairn, Seal Engraver in Ordinary to the Queen of Scotland.

The following will help you understand the meaning of the terms used in the description.

SABLE, THREE WOLVES' HEADS, ERASED, ARGENT.
ON A CHIEF OR, LION PASSANT OF THE FIRST.

CREST: A PEGASUS COURANT, SABLE, DUCALLY GORGED OR
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SABLE = BLACK OR = GOLD ARGENT = SILVER

ERASED = "TORN FROM THE BODY"

PASSANT = "AT REST, FACING FORWARD, SIDE VIEW, STANDING"

COURANT = "LEAPING, SIDE VIEW"

DUCALLY GORGED = "THREE POINTED CROWN, AROUND THE NECK"

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SABLE, THREE WOLVES' HEADS, ERASED, ARGENT. = the color of the shield is (sable) black with three (3) wolves heads that have been torn from the wolves bodies and the heads are colored silver.

ON A CHIEF OR, = "a chief" is a term for the top section of the shield equal in size to 1/3 of the shield and its color is Gold.

LION PASSANT OF THE FIRST = a lion standing (and its front paw is extended which is usually the artistic standard) facing forward and "of the first" is a reference to the first color described in the listing which was "sable" (black), thus the lyon is black in color.

CREST: is that part of the Armorial Barings that represents the family. It is always located above the top of the Armorial Barings.

A PEGASUS COURANT, SABLE, DUCALLY GORGED OR = the pegasus is leaping as if to take off in flight, its color is black, it has a three pointed crown around its neck and the crown is gold in color.

Graphic by Jennifer Prater