A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ashlin family of England.
Reg. 2439 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Or, three double scaling ladders sa”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Ashlin Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Ashlin arms are recorded
The Ashlin arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Ashlin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of England.
Origin & History of the Ashlin Family in England
The family name Ashlin has deep roots in the historic city of York, where records confirm members of the family were established by the early seventeenth century. The name likely originated as a locative surname, which was a common practice in medieval England to identify people by the specific place or landscape feature where they lived. It is probable that the name evolved from a combination of the Old English words for ash tree and a small stream or pool, suggesting that the earliest ancestors resided near a distinct natural landmark. By 1620, the Ashlin family was already integrated into the local community, living through a period of significant social and religious change in Northern England. As the family grew, they contributed to the local economy and urban life of York, helping to shape the history of the region during the transition from the Elizabethan era to the Stuart period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Aesc-lin
Old English for ash tree and a diminutive suffix meaning small.
This name
AshlinDerived from a place name referring to a pool or meadow near an ash tree.
also spelled
Ashlyn
Ashlen
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
York City Archives, York City Chamberlains’ Account Rolls, 1620
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
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ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
ladderAmbition, and a fearless assault
