The Coat of Arms Marres in Liège
in the 13th century

In the literature three different arms are attributed to the medieval Marres family in Liège.

armoiries de Hemricourt

1398

The old Liege family Marres had several noble alliances, known are those with the families Hemricourt, Boileau de Mons and Chateau de Slins.
Their daughter Agnes Mares is called une damoyselle de bonne nation.
The family is listed with its alliances in the Miroir des Nobles de Hasbaye, 1102 -1398, but does not have its own article.

A son of the couple Hemricourt-Marres, Johan, went into the clergy and became canon of Saint Gilles and rural dean of Rochefort. He took the surname of his mother and called himself Johan des Mares.
He wore in silver an oblique cross on which in the heart the Hemricourt arms.

The Miroir des Nobles de Hesbaye is a manuscript of Jacques de Hemricourt. He treats the genealogies of the nobility of this region from the year 1102 to the year 1398. (5)

The writer of the manuscript belonged to the nobility of Liège. His uncle Goffin de Hemricourt, who was secretary general of the city of Liège in 1335 and 1338, was married to Agnes Marres a daughter of Johan Mares, lawyer of the city. A Johan de Mares is listed als burgomaster in 1269.

In this manuscipt four noble alliances in the Marres family are described. The name is written as Mares or des Mares. In the translation of 1673 and later this becomes des Marez, des Marets or des Marests.

The first is Johan de Mares, a lawyer, who married a daughter of Bauduin du Château de Slins. Three daughters of the family Mares married noble man, Agnès Marres, who married aforementioned Goffin Hemricourt, Maroie Mares married Johan Boileau de Mons, bailiff of Hesbaye 1317 - 1322, and alderman of Liège from 1335 to 1344, became knight in 1339, and at last a daughter of whom we don't know her or her fathers name who married Goffin des Tombes.

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Mayor Jehan de Mares in 1269
Recueil héraldique des bourguemestres de la noble cité de Liege;
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armoiries de Marres de Liège 1720

1720

In the Recueil Héraldique des Bourguemestres de Liège, J.P. Gramme, 1720, is publicated an article about Johan de Mares, burgomaster of Liège in 1269 and him is attibuted the following coat of arms: gold, semé of lilies gules on chief over all a label of five points azure. (6)

The figure semé ol lilies is carried many times in the Hasbaye. In the first instance are this the seven bannerlord who pretend to be descended from the House Dammartin. Dammartin de Warfusée carries: Gules, semé of lilies. (7). An significant number of familles from the Hesbaye carry this figure with a small difference. (8). And so with them possibly Marres

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armoiries de Marres de Liège 1843

1843

Léon de Herckenrode (9) describes the arms of the Liège Marres family - here written as des Marets as follows: d'or à trois feuilles de Marais de sinople, gold three marsh leaves vert. By Rietstap and Renesse clearly reproduced and recorded as: d'or à trois feuilles de nénuphar de sinople, gold, three water lily leaves green. He gives no source.

Th. de Renesse, Dictionnaire des figures héraldiques, Brussel 1894, It was listed under feuilles de nénuphars, trois, sinople sur or.

J.B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda, 1887 staat het beschreven als: d'or à trois feuilles de nénuphar de sinople. He gives no source also.

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The relationship between the Liège and the Maastricht families Marres is plausible but not proven beyond doubt. In the XIVe century the Maastricht Marres possessed lands in the principality Liège. Here, in Zussen, our forefather John Marres acquired in 1402 a manor that had been in the possession of the knights of Boxberch, In neighboring village Heukelom that fell under the jurisdiction of the county of Vroenhof belonging to the city of Maastricht the family owned two manors that remained in the family until the 17th century.

Arms of related families

armoiries du Château de Slins

armoiries de Hemricourt

armoiries de Boileau de Mons

Château de Slins

Hemricourt

Boileau de Mons

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