Arms: Vert a fess dancetty Ermine between a stag’s head cabossed in chief and two escallops in base Or; on a chief wavy Ermine the Trafalgar medal Or, pendant by a ribbom Azure, Argent, Azure, between wreaths of cypress and laurel with the word “Trafalgar” under the medal.
SOURCES, NOTES & CREDITS: “The Double Tressure”, 2005, No. 28, The article “Nelson’s Captains” by the late Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick on pages 52-54 for background and the Wikipedia articles on Norwich Duff and his father George Duff for background and text adaption.
Vice-Admiral Norwich Duff, RN, FRSE (15 Aug 1792 – 21 Apr 1862 ) was the just 13 year old son of George Duff, Captain of the HMS Mars, one of Nelson’s captains and the Mars was the third ship in the column led by Collingwood at Trafalgar. Captain Duff was killed early on in the battle. His son, Norwich, was a Midshipman, rated Able Seaman, in his father’s ship and had been sent below by his father for his safety and survived. After the battle Norwich wrote his mother of his father’s death:
“My Dear Mamma, You cannot possibly imagine how unwilling I am to commence this
melancholy letter … He died like a hero, having gallantly led his ship into action, and his memory will ever be dear to his king, his country and his friends. Believe me your affectionate and obedient son, N. Duff”.
Only due to the fact that he was then the young son of his Captain of the HMS Mars and of his father, George Duff, that he is included in Peter Drummond-Murray’s “Nelson’s Captains”.
As Capt. George Duff was dead he was in no positionto apply for an augmentation to his arms.
Norwich Duff stayed in the Navy as a career and eventually rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral. His descendants still exist though the male line is recently extinct. He was an A.D.C. to Queen Victoria. When he was a Captain he matriculated Arms in the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, ( Volume 3, folio 74 ) in 1829. Norwich died on 21 Apr 1862, age 69.
All the other augmentations, even to Scotsmen such as the Earl of Northesk, were granted within a year or two of the battle, at the College of Arms. For these reasons this one seems to have been overlooked by writers on the subject.
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor
Note: the other article on Norwich Duff in the “Nelson’s Captains” Album.
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