A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cancel family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Lozengy or and sa”
The Cancel arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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.
Reigning in England when the Cancel arms are first recorded.
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.
The history of the Cancel name in England is deeply rooted in the social landscape of the early seventeenth century. Records confirm that members of the family were established in the city of York by 1620, a time when the city served as a vital northern hub for trade and administration. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a nickname, possibly derived from the Old French word "cancel," which referred to a lattice or a screen used in churches or legal settings. Families bearing this name during this period were often involved in the local merchant classes or skilled trades that kept the city functioning. As they settled into York, they became part of the local community, leaving traces in parish registers and tax documents that help historians understand how families moved and grew during the Stuart era.
A Latin term for an official or secretary stationed at a lattice.
