A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Brigner family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à deux bars adossés d'arg., surm. d'une fleur-de-lis d'or.”
The Brigner arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they could be recognised by.
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 France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Brigner arms are first recorded.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The family name Brigner traces its roots back to the northern region of France known as Normandy. Historical records confirm that members of the family were living in this area by the year 1663. During the seventeenth century, Normandy was a vibrant province defined by its agricultural landscape and its proximity to the English Channel. Families like the Brigners often lived in small rural parishes where they worked the land or practiced local trades. Life in Normandy at this time was shaped by the strict social structures of the French monarchy and the influence of the local church. As the family grew, they became part of the long history of migration that eventually saw many Norman families move across the Atlantic to seek new opportunities in North America.
Old French term for a twig, sprout, or small shoot.
