A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Buttry family of England.
Reg. 8552 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
boarA fierce fighter who battles to the end
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Ar. on a chev. betw. three crosses pattée fitchée gu. as many boars' heads couped or”
SuffolkSuffolk, c. 1620
Where the Buttry Arms Were Recorded
Suffolk
Map of England showing where the Buttry arms are recorded
The Buttry arms were recorded in Suffolk, c. 1620.
Suffolk was wool country, and its cloth towns were among the wealthiest in England. Clothier families bought manors with their profits, and holding a manor was the ordinary route to a 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 Buttry 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 Suffolk.
Origin & History of the Buttry Family in England
The surname Buttry is rooted in the occupational history of medieval England, likely originating as a descriptive name for someone who worked in a buttery. In a large household or monastery, the buttery was the specific room where beverages, particularly ale and wine, were stored and distributed. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Buttry family were well-established in the county of Suffolk. During this period, Suffolk was a center of agricultural production and trade, and families with this name were often integrated into the local parish life of the region. As the family grew, they contributed to the social and economic fabric of East Anglia, leaving behind a legacy tied to the traditional domestic roles of the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Buterie
Old French term for a buttery or a storehouse for provisions.
This name
ButtryAn occupational surname for a servant in charge of the buttery or wine cellar.
also spelled
Buttery
Buttrey
Butrie
Related arms
Butteryvariant 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
Reaney, Percy Hide, A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
boarA fierce fighter who battles to the end
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
boarA fierce fighter who battles to the end
