A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gorham 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)“Gu. three shackbolts conjoined in fess or”
The Gorham arms were recorded in Gorhambury, c. 1562.
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 Gorham 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 Gorham is believed to have originated in England, with early records confirming the presence of the family in the city of York by 1562. The name is likely locational in origin, meaning it was originally used to describe someone who came from a specific place, such as the village of Gorham in Hertfordshire. Over many centuries, the spelling of the name evolved as it was passed down through generations. By the mid-16th century, the family had established roots in northern England, where they participated in the local social and economic life of the period. As the family grew, members eventually moved to other parts of the country and later across the Atlantic, carrying their history and name into new regions.
Old English term for mud or filth.
