A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Blackerby 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)“Gyronny of eight ar. and sa”
The Blackerby arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1620.
Suffolk was wool country, and its cloth towns were among the wealthiest in England. Clothier families bought manors with their profits, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a coat of 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.
Reigning in England when the Blackerby arms are first recorded.
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 Blackerby family name originates from England and is deeply rooted in the history of the county of Suffolk. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this region. The name likely developed as a locational surname, which was a common practice in medieval England to identify people by the specific village or farmstead where they lived. While the exact origins of the name remain a subject of study, it is believed to be derived from Old Norse or Old English place names that describe a dark or black-colored settlement. Throughout the seventeenth century, the family became integrated into the local social and economic fabric of East Anglia. They were often involved in the agricultural and merchant life of the area, which helped them maintain a consistent presence in English parish records during this period of history.
Old Norse for black or dark farmstead or village settlement.
