A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bottrell family of England.
Reg. 0053 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
horseshoeGood fortune and protection from harm
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Chequy or and gu. on a chev. az. three horseshoes of the first”
CornwallCornwall, c. 1620
Where the Bottrell Arms Were Recorded
Cornwall
Map of England showing where the Bottrell arms are recorded
The Bottrell arms were recorded in Cornwall, c. 1620.
Cornwall was a county apart, with its own language and its own tight-knit gentry. Tin and the sea made money there, and families who made it bought land, which is what brought arms with it.
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 Bottrell 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 Cornwall.
Origin & History of the Bottrell Family in England
The surname Bottrell is deeply rooted in the rugged landscape of Cornwall, where records confirm the family was well-established by the early seventeenth century. The name is thought to have evolved from a nickname or a descriptive term used in Middle English, likely relating to a person’s physical appearance or a specific trade practiced by early ancestors. During the 1600s, families in this region were often connected to the local mining industry or small-scale coastal farming, which defined the daily lives of those living in the Cornish parishes. As the Bottrell name spread through the southwestern peninsula of England, it became a distinct part of the local identity. The persistence of the name in parish registers from 1620 onward highlights how families remained anchored to their home communities for many generations, passing down their traditions and their name through the centuries.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bot
A Germanic term referring to a messenger or a herald.
This name
BottrellA diminutive form indicating a small messenger or a servant of a herald.
also spelled
Botrell
Bottrell
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Gover, J.E.B., Mawer, A., and Stenton, F.M., The Place-Names of Cornwall, 1948
Hanks, Patrick, and Hodges, Flavia, A Dictionary of Surnames, 1988
Kresen Kernow, Parish Registers of Cornwall (Baptisms, Marriages and Burials)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
horseshoeGood fortune and protection from harm
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
horseshoeGood fortune and protection from harm
