A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gilland family of England.
Reg. 4576 · English, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Chequy or and gu”
NorthumberlandNorthumberland, c. 1620
Where the Gilland Arms Were Recorded
Northumberland
Map of England showing where the Gilland arms are recorded
The Gilland arms were recorded in Northumberland, c. 1620.
Northumberland was border country facing Scotland, raided and fought over for three hundred years. Families held their land in return for defending it, and a defending household carried a shield.
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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Gilland arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
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.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Northumberland.
Origin & History of the Gilland Family in England
The family name Gilland traces its roots to the rugged borderlands of Northern England, with documented evidence placing members of the family in Northumberland as early as 1620. During this period, the region was defined by a volatile social climate where families often lived in fortified stone houses known as bastles to protect themselves from local unrest. The name itself likely evolved from a combination of Old English or Gaelic linguistic roots, possibly serving as a descriptive term for a person who lived near a specific geographical feature like a ravine or a narrow valley. As the family established their presence in the North, they integrated into the local agricultural and pastoral economy that dominated the border counties. Over time, the Gillands became part of the resilient population that helped shape the unique cultural identity of the English-Scottish border region before many families eventually migrated further south or across the Atlantic in search of new opportunities.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gille
Old Norse term for a servant or devotee of a saint.
This name
GillandA patronymic surname indicating descent from a servant of Saint John.
also spelled
Gillan
Gylland
Gyllan
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bates, Cadwallader J., The Border Holds of Northumberland, 1891
The National Archives, State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1620
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
