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Helaldry

Scallop shells often appear in helaldry and are shown as a symbol of pilgrimage (and possibly the crusades) so any family coat of arms bearing a scallop she'll had someone in their pat who went on pilgrimage - not necessarily to Santiago though.

The Scallop shell appears as early as the reign of Henry 3rd  and appears on the Coat of arms of Winston Churchill and the Spencer family (Princess Diana and therefore Princes William and Harry).

It also appears on the Coat of Arms of John Wesley and so has become a symbol of the Methodist Church.

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