A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dysart family of Scotland.
treeLife, endurance and deep rootsSir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. a tree eradicated ppr”
The Dysart arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.
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 Scotland in this period.
Reigning in Scotland when the Dysart arms are first recorded.
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
The family name Dysart is rooted in the geography of Scotland, specifically originating from the town of Dysart in Fife. The name itself is derived from the Gaelic word *diseart*, which translates to a hermit’s cell or a secluded place of prayer. This suggests that the earliest people to carry the name were likely associated with a religious site or a specific piece of land near the coast. By the mid-eighteenth century, the family had established a presence in Edinburgh, a period marked by the city’s rapid growth and the expansion of its professional classes. As the family moved into the capital by 1748, they became part of the vibrant social and economic life of a city undergoing the Scottish Enlightenment. Their transition from the coastal roots of Fife to the urban center of Edinburgh reflects the broader movement of families seeking new opportunities in trade, law, and administration during that era.
Gaelic for southern height or south-facing headland.
