Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. on a bend cotised az. three roses or”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Forsen 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. on a bend cotised az. three roses or”
The Forsen 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.
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 Forsen carries a history rooted in the movement of people across Northern Europe and the British Isles. While the name is often associated with Scandinavian origins, records confirm that members of the family were firmly established in the city of York by 1620. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious transition, and families like the Forsens were often involved in the local craft guilds or merchant networks that defined the city’s economy. The name itself likely evolved from Old Norse roots, possibly referring to a person who lived near a waterfall or a rapid stream. As these early ancestors settled in England, they integrated into the local community, leaving behind traces in parish registers and legal documents that highlight their presence during the early seventeenth century. This transition from their ancestral origins to the historic streets of York reflects the broader patterns of migration and family growth that shaped Northern England during the Stuart era.
A waterfall or a rushing stream of water.
