A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Guynes 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)“Vairé or and az. a quarter erm”
The Guynes 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 Guynes 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 Guynes likely traces its roots to northern England, where records confirm that members of the family were established in the city of York by 1620. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religious life, serving as a hub for families who were often involved in local commerce or skilled crafts. The name itself is thought to be a variation of older regional surnames that evolved as families moved between different parishes and towns. By settling in a prominent city like York, early members of the Guynes family were part of a growing urban population that navigated the social and economic shifts of the seventeenth century. Their presence in these historical records provides a clear link to the region and suggests that the family was well-integrated into the local community during a time of significant change in English history.
Derived from the Old French word for fair or white.
