A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bethencourt family of France.
Reg. 4157 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chess rookStrategy, and the defence of a position
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à cinq rocs d'échiquier de sa., 2, 1 et 2.”
ArtoisArtois, c. 1663
Where the Bethencourt Arms Were Recorded
Artois
Map of France showing where the Bethencourt arms are recorded
The Bethencourt arms were recorded in Artois, c. 1663.
Artois lay on the disputed ground between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms, and a shield was how a fighting household was known.
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 France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bethencourt arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Artois.
Origin & History of the Bethencourt Family in France
The family name Bethencourt originates from the northern regions of France, specifically within the historical province of Artois. The name is locative in nature, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place or estate known as Bethencourt. By the middle of the seventeenth century, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area, living as part of the local population in 1663. During this period, families in Artois were often tied to the land and the agricultural traditions of the region. As the family grew, individuals began to move across different territories, carrying the name with them as a marker of their geographic roots. The history of the name reflects the broader patterns of settlement and social development that defined northern French society during the early modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bettonis curtis
The estate or farmstead belonging to a person named Betto.
This name
BethencourtA locative surname originating from a specific manor or estate in Normandy, France.
also spelled
Betencourt
Bethancourt
Bethencour
Related arms
Bethancourtvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Bruneel, Claude, Les origines des familles du Nord, 1985
Dion, Roger, Histoire des levées de la Loire, 1961
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chess rookStrategy, and the defence of a position
chess rookStrategy, and the defence of a position
