A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bovey family of England.
Reg. 2593 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
bowReadiness, and the strength held in reserve
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“Vert, two bows bent paleways in fesse and three arrows conjoined in base, one in pale and two in saltire, and a chief embattled all sa”
BedfordWordon Abbey · Bedford, c. 1712
Where the Bovey Arms Were Recorded
Bedford
Map of England showing where the Bovey arms are recorded
The Bovey arms were recorded in Bedford, c. 1712.
Bedfordshire was small, flat farming country close to London. Its manors were held by middling families rather than great ones, but a manor was a manor, and holding one brought 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.
Anne of Great Britain
Sovereign of the period
Anne of Great Britain
1707–1714
Reigning in England when the Bovey 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 Bedford.
Origin & History of the Bovey Family in England
The family name Bovey is believed to have originated as a locative surname, likely derived from the parish of Bovey Tracey in Devon, England. Families often adopted these names to identify their place of origin when they moved to new regions. By the early eighteenth century, members of the Bovey family had established a notable presence in Bedford, as evidenced by local records dating back to 1712. During this era, families with this name were often associated with the growing merchant class and local landholding, which allowed them to integrate into the social and economic life of the English Midlands. The transition of the name from a geographical marker to a permanent family identifier reflects the broader patterns of migration and social organization that defined English society during the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
bovarius
Latin term referring to a herdsman or someone who tends cattle.
This name
BoveyAn occupational surname for a person who worked as a cowherd or cattle farmer.
also spelled
Bovy
Bovie
Bovay
Related arms
Bovyvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
bowReadiness, and the strength held in reserve
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
bowReadiness, and the strength held in reserve
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
