A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Freytes 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 vert”
The Freytes 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 Freytes 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 Freytes has roots that stretch back to the early seventeenth century, with documented evidence placing members of the family in York by 1620. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and social change, and families like the Freytes were often involved in the local merchant guilds or skilled trades that defined the city’s economy. The name itself likely evolved from regional dialects and linguistic shifts common in northern England, reflecting the way surnames were often adapted as families moved between parishes or changed professions. By settling in a major urban hub like York, the early Freytes family became part of a growing class of citizens who helped shape the city’s civic life during a time of significant transition in English history. Their presence in the city records from this era suggests they were well-established members of the community who participated in the daily life and legal structures of the time.
Derived from the Old French word for strawberry or fruit.
