A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Guildford 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. two bars gemel sa”
The Guildford 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 Guildford 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 Guildford is a locative name, meaning it originally identified people who came from a specific place. It is derived from the town of Guildford in Surrey, England, which takes its name from the Old English words for a golden river crossing. By the early 17th century, the family had established a presence in the northern city of York. Records confirm that members of the Guildford family were living in York by 1620, likely drawn to the city by its status as a major hub for trade and administration in the north of England. During this period, families often moved to growing urban centers to pursue new business opportunities or to participate in the local government of the region. This migration from southern origins to the northern heartland reflects the broader patterns of movement that shaped English society during the Stuart era.
A golden river crossing or ford.
