A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cawston 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)“Bendy of six ar. and sa”
The Cawston 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 Cawston 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 Cawston originates from a place name in Norfolk, England, where the village of the same name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name itself is derived from Old Norse and Old English roots, likely meaning the settlement or farmstead belonging to a man named Kalf. By the early 17th century, members of the family had moved away from their ancestral roots in East Anglia and established a presence in the historic city of York by 1620. During this period, families often moved to major urban centers like York to pursue new opportunities in trade, crafts, or local administration. This migration reflects the broader movement of English families during the Stuart era as they sought to build new lives in growing regional hubs.
Old Norse term for a calf or a young animal.
