A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Blagrove family of England.
Reg. 3978 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
boars headA fierce fighter who battles to the end
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, on a bend betw. two boars' heads erased sa. three greaves of the field”
HantsHenry Blagrove · Hants, c. 1620
Where the Blagrove Arms Were Recorded
Hants
Map of England showing where the Blagrove arms are recorded
The Blagrove arms were recorded in Hants, c. 1620.
Hampshire had the naval dockyards at Portsmouth on one side and good farmland on the other. Sea money and land money both bought estates, and an estate was what brought a family its 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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Blagrove 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 Hants.
Origin & History of the Blagrove Family in England
The Blagrove family name is rooted in the English landscape, with early records confirming their presence in the county of Hampshire by the year 1620. The name itself is topographical, meaning it likely originated from a specific place known as a "bleak grove" or a clearing characterized by exposed, windswept trees. During the seventeenth century, families often took their surnames from the natural features of the land they farmed or inhabited. As the Blagrove family established themselves in Hampshire, they became part of the local agricultural and social fabric of the region. Over time, members of the family moved beyond these initial settlements, eventually spreading their name across other parts of England and into the wider British Empire. This history reflects the common pattern of surname development where geography and daily life shaped the identities of early families.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Blaec-graf
Old English for dark or black grove of trees.
This name
BlagroveA topographical name for someone who lived near a dark or densely wooded grove.
also spelled
Blagrave
Related arms
Blagravevariant spelling
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
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
boars headA fierce fighter who battles to the end
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
boars headA fierce fighter who battles to the end
