Scallop shell history
The scallop shell was the indented shell and emblem of St James. This was originally worn to signify that the wearer had made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St James in Compostella, Spain. Some time later, it was positioned on the shield to show that the carrier or an ancestor had been a Crusader or completed a long pilgrimage. It was also said to be a bearing for those who had made long trips over the oceans or who have had a significant naval command and achieved great victories.