A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Caster 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)“Ar. three bars gemelles gu”
The Caster arms were recorded in Norfolk, c. 1620.
Norfolk grew rich on wool and grain, and its wealth was spread among many middling families rather than a few great ones. Households of that kind bought land and took arms, and the county holds a large share of English names.
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 Caster 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 family name Caster has deep roots in the English county of Norfolk, where records confirm members of the family were established as early as 1620. The name is generally considered a topographic or locational surname, likely derived from the Old English word *ceaster*, which refers to a Roman fort or a walled town. Families living near these ancient ruins or within towns built upon former Roman settlements often adopted this name to identify their origin. During the early seventeenth century, the Caster family in Norfolk would have lived through a period of significant social and agricultural change in East Anglia. As a regional name, it reflects the long history of human settlement in the area, linking the family identity to the physical landscape and the enduring legacy of Roman infrastructure in the English countryside.
A Latin term referring to a fortified place or military camp.
