A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Jermyn 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)“Paly of six erm. and gu”
The Jermyn arms were recorded in Devon, c. 1620.
Devon was a county of small manors and seafaring families. Its gentry were spread thickly across the countryside, and money made at sea often bought an estate, which in turn brought a coat of 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 Jermyn 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 Jermyn has deep roots in the English landscape, evolving from the ancient personal name Germanus, which translates to "brotherly" or "of Germany." By the early seventeenth century, members of the family were well-established in the county of Devon, a region known for its rugged coastline and strong agricultural traditions. During this period, the name was often associated with families of modest means who worked the land or engaged in local trade. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the West Country, living through a time of significant religious and political change in England. Their presence in Devon by 1620 suggests that they were part of the steady migration and settlement patterns that defined rural life in the seventeenth century, helping to shape the local communities where they resided.
Latin term meaning brotherly or of the same stock.
