Your Opinions, Please!

Joan Harrison from St. Albans, Herts, UK writes: Having just found my Blencowe roots in Helmdon, we took a trip out to the church yard there looking for Francis Blencowe's grave. There is some sort of crest engraved on it, which is not one of the usual crests.

As you can see it shows 4 castles, can anyone tell me the meaning of these castles? I would be extremely pleased with any suggestions.
Joan Email: joan.les @ talktalk.net

Marcia Hatfield asks if anyone is familiar with the books of Patrick O'Brian? O'Brian's books, including the Aubrey/Maturin series, are about early sea-faring in the British navy. One recently made into film was Master and Commander. The late O'Brian was somewhat of an enigma as he appears to have made up his own life history. Dean King wrote a book on Patrick O'Brian: A Life Revealed in which he mentioned a Nellie Blencowe who worked in the O'Brian's house-hold when O'Brian was child. If Nellie fits into anyone else's research it would be interesting to hear from them.

King's book tells O'Brian's real life story. A point of interest for us is that O'Brian never went near the sea. There is a Blencowe midshipman who wrote a book about his service which is of the same time and places that O'Brian wrote about. The timing coincides with the time Nellie would have been in the household. Marcia wrote to Dean King, but he had no further information. This is another mystery she would like to solve, as no one can understand where O'Brian got his material. Interesting don't you think — maybe from our Blencowe midshipman!

We await your ideas. Anne