Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. on a chief engr. az. a tortoise or”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bidgood family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. on a chief engr. az. a tortoise or”
The Bidgood arms were recorded in England, c. 1813.
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.
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.
The surname Bidgood is primarily rooted in the southwestern counties of England, particularly Devon and Somerset, where it emerged as a locative or descriptive name during the medieval period. Etymologists often trace the name to Old English roots that suggest a meaning related to a "good bid" or a favorable prayer, possibly referring to a person who was known for their piety or their role in local community affairs. While the family established deep roots in the West Country, members of the lineage eventually migrated to various industrial hubs across the British Isles. By 1813, records confirm that the Bidgood family had established a notable presence in the historic city of York. This movement likely coincided with the broader internal migrations of the nineteenth century, as families sought new economic opportunities in growing urban centers. Over time, the name evolved from its rural origins to become a distinct part of the social fabric in northern English cities.
Old English phrase meaning to remain or wait for God.
