Directory of Members

David B. Appleton (B.S., History) is an internationally-known author and lecturer who has been researching and teaching about heraldry (and its utility for genealogists) for more than 40 years. This on-going interest has taken him all across the United States, Canada, and Europe to participate in and speak at conferences and symposia on the subject. He is an Associate Member of the Académie  Internationale  d’Héraldique, and a long-time member of the American Heraldry Society, the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, The Heraldry Society of England, The Heraldry Society of Scotland, the American College of Heraldry, and the International Association of Amateur Heralds. He regularly participates in a number of heraldry, lineage and genealogy-related on-line groups, and is a member of five lineage societies (the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Blaisdell Family National Association, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, The Winslow Society, and the American Rosie the Riveter Association). In addition to his illustrated lectures and presentations, he has written several books and numerous articles for a variety of publications on heraldry. You may also follow his on-line blog, 'Heraldry: Musings on an esoteric topic,' at: http://blog.appletonstudios.com

Please see the section on Lectures for descriptions of presentations.

Books and a representative list of articles published:

Camels In Heraldry
The Gore Roll: An Early American Roll of Arms
The Boke of St. Albans: A Modern English Rendition of a Medieval Heraldic Treatise
Quoted in "New Kensington post office seal's origin remains a mystery" by Emily Balser, Valley News Dispatch, Western Pennsylvania, August 9, 2014
Regarding the Dummer family arms, The Heraldry Gazette, New Series 132, June 2014
"Symbols That Represent the United States of America in Heraldry", The Armiger's News, A Quarterly Journal for Members of the American College of Heraldry, Vol. XXXVI, No. 3, Summer 2014
"Prospects at the Dawn of the Third Millennium: The Use of Computers in Heraldry"; The Armiger's News, A Quarterly Journal for Members of the American College of Heraldry, Vol. XXXV, No. 3, Summer 2013
"Heraldry on the Digital Frontier", Proceedings of the XXX International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2012
"The Black Shield of Falworth - revisited", The Heraldry Gazette, New Series 120, June 2011, p. 16
"The Winslows: An American Family and Its Coat of Arms", Genealogica & Heraldica: Proceedings of the XXIX International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, Stuttgart, Germany, 2010
"A Brief Introduction to Heraldry", Retread, Newsletter of the Creative Retirement Special Interest Group of American Mensa, Inc., Issue No. 123 (Nov/Dec 2008)
"Blaisdell Coat of Arms Discredited", The Blaisdell Papers, Vol. 15, No. 4 (December 2007), p. 304
"On Heraldic Proper: a Response", Gonfanon, Newsletter of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, Vol. 17, No. 2, Summer 2006, pp. 3-4
"a guide for 'gentill men and honest persones': An Overview of the Heraldic Portions of a Fifteenth Century Treatise: The Boke of St. Albans"; The Armiger's News, A Quarterly Journal for Members of the American College of Heraldry, Volume XXVII, Number 4 (Autumn 2005)
"Islamic Heraldry: An Introduction", The Journal for Chivalric, Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, October 2004
"Prospects at the Dawn of the Third Millennium: The Use of Computers in Heraldry"; Proceedings of the XXIV International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, Besançon, France, 2000
"The Turband: A Response"; Coat of Arms (Journal of the Heraldry Society of England), Vol. XII, No. 184, Winter 1998

An Introduction to Heraldry for Genealogists
"At the outset there is a curious fact in the relationship between the two subjects [of heraldry and genealogy]. While students of Heraldry do take to Genealogy and acquire a considerable knowledge of it, those who begin as genealogists seldom if ever take any interest in Heraldry. This is most unfortunate because the two subjects are necessarily connected." (L.G. Pine, Heraldry and Genealogy, p. 145) Discover this connection between genealogy and heraldry (coats of arms), and find out how heraldry can become "the genealogist's most colorful tool" even when it's in black and white. We will briefly review the history of heraldry from its earliest days until now, learn the various parts of an heraldic "achievement" and what clues they may hold for genealogists, discover ways to identify coats of arms, and find ways to use heraldry yourself. We will also explain two common misconceptions about heraldry.

The Heralds Visitations, an Often Overlooked Genealogical Resource
"No genealogist whose interests lie in sixteenth and seventeenth century England can afford to neglect visitation pedigrees. Used with discretion, they are an indispensable section of the genealogist's library." (G.D. Squibb, Visitation Pedigrees and the Genealogist, p. 25) The heralds visitations of England recorded not only who could bear certain titles of rank and coats of arms (and some who couldn't), but also family lineages. Learn about the heralds visitations, when and why they took place, their methods, the genealogical and heraldic information they may contain, and most importantly, where the published visitations, their indexes and related records can be found.

One Approach to Publishing Your Family History
As genealogists, we know how important it is: preserving and sharing not just the names and dates, but the stories, the events in the lives of the people in our family trees. But it is such a daunting task that too many times it never even gets started. How do you begin? What do you write? What about pictures or other personal touches? How do you print and publish? Discover one successful approach to writing and sharing these stories, and learn printing and binding options available to fit anyone's budget.

Finding Your New England Ancestors
Genealogical research in the six New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) can sometimes be seen as easier to do than in many other regions in the United States: "These people killed themselves to make sure there was a paper trail." (Michael Comeaux, Assistant Archivist, Massachusetts State Archives, quoted in The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell, p. 72.) But that strength, the many records available, can also make genealogical research in New England challenging, because it can take a lot of hunting to locate all the specific records that may relate to New England ancestors. Learn about some of the peculiarities of genealogical research in New England, and discover many of the most useful places to start looking for genealogical information there.

The Gore Roll: A colonial American roll of arms
The Gore roll is the earliest known American book of coats of arms, containing 99 coats of arms and dating to the early 18th Century. Created in Boston, Massachusetts, by coach painter John Gore and his son, Samuel, and possibly his grandson, Christopher Gore, the roll is a remarkable record of the heraldry of individuals who lived in or passed through pre-Revolutionary War Massachusetts. Learn about the history of the roll, its authors and their place in Boston society, the coats of arms found in it, and discover some of the other places where those arms may be found even today in and about the city of Boston.

In Their Footsteps: The Genealogical Tourist
Genealogical tourism is on the rise. What is it? Why is it becoming increasingly popular? Should you consider becoming a genealogical tourist? Discover the answers to these questions, learn some of the national and regional resources now available to the genealogical tourist, find out what to consider in planning, preparing, and packing for such a trip, and hear some practical advice (some learned the hard way). Most important, though, see what you might expect to gain personally from “walking in the footsteps” of your ancestors.

I can bring my own computer and digital projector, though I have no problem using other equipment if that is preferred.

Because many of them involve color, I usually print the handouts to my presentations. I also make handouts available in .pdf format for those who prefer using digital versions.

I am happy to develop new presentations if you have a specific request for one.

As you can see in the Recent Engagements section, I am willing to travel!

Arlington Genealogical Society, Arlington, TX, 2023
Pinellas Genealogy Society, Pinellas, FL, 2022 (via Zoom)
Genealogy Friends of Haggard Library, Plano, TX, 2022
Heritage Ranch Genealogy Society, Fairview, TX, 2022
Rockwall County Genealogical Society, Rockwall, TX, 2022
Highland Park Public Library, Highland Park, TX, 2022
Glen Cove Library, Glen Cove, NY, 2022 (via Zoom)
35th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, Cambridge, UK, 2022
McKinney Public Library, McKinney, TX, 2022
North Collin County Genealogical Society, McKinney, TX, 2022
Helen Plum Library, Lombard, IL, 2022 (via Zoom)
Daughters of the American Revolution, Austin, Texas Colony, Austin, TX, 2022
Genealogy Club, Fountaindale Public Library District, Bolingbrook, IL, 2022 (via Zoom)
Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society, Griffith, IN (via Google Meet), 2021
North Collin County Genealogical Society, McKinney, TX (via Zoom), 2021
Oxford University Heraldry Society, Oxford, England (via Zoom), 2021
3M Company Genealogy Club, Bloomington, MN (via Zoom), 2021
Larimer County Genealogy Society of Colorado, Fort Collins, CO (via Zoom), 2021
Daughters of the American Revolution, Balcones Chapter, Austin, TX (via Zoom), 2020
Lago Vista Genealogical Society, Lago Vista, TX, 2020
Georgia Genealogical Society, Webinar, 2019
Mesquite Historical and Genealogical Society, Mesquite, TX, 2019
Austin Genealogical Society, Austin, TX, 2019
Webinar, Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, Toronto Branch, 2019
Collin County Genealogy Society, Plano, TX, 2019
XXXIII International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, Arras, France, 2018
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Arlington, TX, 2018
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Arlington, TX, 2017
Toronto Branch, Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, Toronto, 2017
20th Annual South Davis Conference and Family History Fair, Woods Cross, UT, 2017
Cedar Hill Genealogical Society, Cedar Hill, TX, 2017
Williamson County Genealogical Society, Round Rock, TX, 2017
Webinar hosted by Ontario Genealogical Society, Canada, 2016
Daughters of the American Revolution, 2015