A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Caswell 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 sa”
The Caswell arms were recorded in Middlesex, c. 1620.
Middlesex was the county around London, and City money flowed straight into it. Merchants and officials bought estates within reach of the capital, and a new estate brought a coat of arms with it.
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 Caswell 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 surname Caswell is of English origin and is classified as a locational name, meaning it was originally taken from a specific place. The name is derived from the Old English words "cress," which refers to a water plant, and "wella," which means a spring or stream. This suggests that the earliest families to carry the name lived near a spring where watercress grew. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Caswell family were established in the county of Middlesex. During this period, the family was part of the growing population in the region surrounding London, where they likely worked as farmers or tradespeople. As the family grew, they moved into different parts of England and eventually across the Atlantic, carrying their name and history with them as they settled into new communities.
Latin for cottage or house and Old English for a spring.
