Arms of the Jameson Irish Whiskey Company

Probably the best known arms associated with any Jam?ons are those Arms of the Jameson Irish Whiskey Company. Just about everything the company produces, including every single bottle of Whiskey they produce, is delivered with their coat of arms attached.

We don't really know exactly when or how these arms came about or when they were first used, but probably not until about the mid twentieth century when the product was first being sold in it's own bottles, under it's own label and with marketing and advertising behind it. Up until about 1968 Jameson Irish Whiskey was only produced in barrel quantities and sold for others to market through to the general public. Looking back through early records, documents and anything to do with the company, even before consolidation in the late 1800's, we can not find anything that might suggest the company using any heraldic materials in their public persona, at all.

We do know from documents discovered and shared by some descendants of the family, that there was some personal interest in understanding their own heraldic connections, maybe as far back as John Jameson, the founding face of that entire particular Jameson dynasty. We also know that the family themselves first registered personal arms in Ireland about 1865, by the Reverend John Jameson (1816-1872) of Winfield, County Galway. Since then several others of that family have used those arms up and to current living Jameson descendants.

Although the arms used today in association with the Whiskey company were very likely developed for use commercially, as a logo would, they do represent the heritage of Jameson families in many ways. There has always been a legend among all Jameson families that back in the 1500's, where two Jameson brothers helped defend Scotland from pirates bothering villages along the coast, for which they were granted coats of arms, by the Scottish king. Although that legend is difficult to verify, it's story is attractive and apparently thought useful to the marketing image of the company. This legend was also of interest to the Jameson family that started the Jameson Whiskey company in the first place and itself was the subject of their early research, leading to the design of their own arms. No one seems to know exactly what arms are supposed to have been those awarded to the Jameson brothers who are at the base of the legend, but the two oldest designs,[1][2] generally known to scholars of such things, eventually found their way into an amalgamation of what is now the Jameson Whiskey coat of arms.

The Jameson Whiskey Company Arms are described as a Shield gules (red) with two Anchors separated by a Saltire or (gold) and a Mullet in the base. The Crest a Roman Galley under sail and flagged. The Motto: is "Sine Metu" Latin for "Without Fear."

From time to time these arms are used with minor variations, such as with the shield in blue background instead of red, or a green background, particularly around Saint Patrick's day.

More recently, the company has been using a more modern development of their arms design. Although the new design is no longer within strict heraldic rules it does retain the basic concept while at the same time allowing for a more contemporary look and feel. It is especially clever in mimicking the older heraldic original version.

The new design also has better visibility when used in smaller sizes and a wider latitude with various color schemes. It is also probably better suited when used in different situations and with a greater range of products. It is already being used in different colors on different bottled whiskey offerings and is likely to evolve even more in future uses.

It is had to know if this newer design or arms will prove successful, or even if it may replace the older traditional arms entirely. Only time will tell.