A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Brinley family of England.
Reg. 5553 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Az. a lion saliant or”
BerkshireBerkshire, c. 1620
Where the Brinley Arms Were Recorded
Berkshire
Map of England showing where the Brinley arms are recorded
The Brinley arms were recorded in Berkshire, c. 1620.
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 Brinley 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 Berkshire.
Origin & History of the Brinley Family in England
The surname Brinley is rooted in the landscape of medieval England, originating as a locative name derived from Old English words meaning a clearing near a burnt area or a woodland meadow. By the early seventeenth century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Berkshire. Records from this period indicate that members of the Brinley family were active participants in the social and economic life of the region before many of them eventually sought opportunities in the American colonies. This migration was part of a larger movement of English families who carried their local traditions and ancestral names across the Atlantic. The name remains a testament to the family's long history of settling in rural English parishes and their eventual transition into the broader history of the English-speaking world.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Brin
Derived from the Old English word for a burnt area or clearing.
This name
BrinleyA habitational name referring to a meadow or clearing located near a burnt area of land.
also spelled
Brinleigh
Brinlie
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
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Berkshire Record Office, Parish Registers of Berkshire, 1620
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
