A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Doney family of England.
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominionSir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Vert a chief erm”
The Doney 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 Doney 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 Doney family name carries a long history that traces back to the northern regions of England. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the family were well-established residents of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious life, and families like the Doneys were often integrated into the local merchant or craft guilds that defined the city’s economy. The name itself is thought to be a variation of older surnames linked to geographical locations or descriptive nicknames common in medieval England. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of Yorkshire, contributing to the local community through their work and daily lives. Their presence in such a historic city suggests that the early Doneys were likely witnesses to the significant political and cultural shifts that defined seventeenth-century England.
A Gaelic or Old Irish term meaning dark or brown.
