A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gridley 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 bendlets enhanced or (same as GRELLEY or GREDLEY, Barons, of Manchester)”
The Gridley 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 Gridley 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 surname Gridley is of English origin and is traditionally associated with the topography of the landscape. It is believed to be a locational name derived from Old English words meaning a clearing or a pasture located near a valley. By the early 17th century, the family had established a notable presence in the historic city of York. Records indicate that members of the Gridley family were living in this region by 1620, a time when the city served as a major center for trade and religious administration. As the family grew, they became part of the local community, eventually participating in the migration patterns that led many English families to seek new opportunities in the American colonies during the mid-1600s. The name remains a reflection of the rural English countryside where the family first settled centuries ago.
Old English words for pig or swine and a woodland clearing.
