A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fairy 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)“Gyronny of twelve ar. and az”
The Fairy 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 Fairy 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 Fairy has deep roots in the historic city of York, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1620. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious life, and families living there were often tied to the local guilds or the agricultural lands surrounding the city walls. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a specific place, as was common for surnames developing in Northern England during the late Middle Ages. Because the family was present in York during the early seventeenth century, they would have lived through significant national shifts, including the lead-up to the English Civil War. By settling in such a prominent administrative hub, the early Fairy family members were part of a stable urban community that helped shape the social and economic landscape of Yorkshire for generations.
Latin term for the Fates or goddesses of destiny.
