A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Creswell 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 Creswell arms were recorded in Hants, c. 1620.
Hampshire had the naval dockyards at Portsmouth on one side and good farmland on the other. Sea money and land money both bought estates, and an estate was what brought a family its 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.
Reigning in England when the Creswell 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 Creswell is a locational name that originated from Old English roots, specifically combining the words for cress and a spring or stream. This suggests that the earliest families bearing this name likely lived near a water source where watercress grew in abundance. By the early seventeenth century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Hampshire, England. Records from 1620 confirm that members of the Creswell family were active in the region during this period of significant social and economic change. As they settled in Hampshire, these early ancestors likely worked in agriculture or local trade, helping to shape the rural landscape of the area. Over time, the family name became firmly tied to the geography of southern England, reflecting a long history of residence and community involvement in the region.
cress plant and a spring or stream
