Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or semé de fleurs-de-lis de sa. C.: un vol coupé alt. d'or et de sa. (Arm. v. G.)”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Lemelin family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or semé de fleurs-de-lis de sa. C.: un vol coupé alt. d'or et de sa. (Arm. v. G.)”

The Lemelin arms were recorded in Brabant, c. 1737.
Brabant lay at the heart of the Low Countries, where the trade routes met. Its towns were wealthy and its landowners many, and both kinds of family kept arms, which is why the region is so heavily represented.
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.
In Belgium, a coat of arms is considered personal property that is passed down through the male line to legitimate descendants. Families often use the same shield design across generations to show their shared heritage. If a branch of the family wants to change the design, they must apply for an official update to their specific version of the arms.
The history of the Lemelin family in Belgium is deeply rooted in the historical region of Brabant, where records confirm their presence by at least 1737. During this period, the name was associated with families living in a landscape defined by shifting political borders and a strong tradition of local craftsmanship. The name itself likely evolved from regional dialects, serving as a way to identify individuals based on their specific trade or their ancestral home within the Duchy of Brabant. As members of the community, the Lemelins were part of a society that balanced agricultural life with the growing influence of nearby urban centers like Brussels and Leuven. By studying these early records, we can see that the family was well-integrated into the local parish systems, which served as the primary way for officials to track births, marriages, and deaths in the eighteenth century. This period of stability allowed the family to establish deep roots in the region before the major social changes that swept through Europe in the following century.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. a bull pass. sa. (a bordure of the second bezantée is sometimes added)”

The Lemelin arms were recorded in Cornwall, c. 1620.
Cornwall was a county apart, with its own language and its own tight-knit gentry. Tin and the sea made money there, and families who made it bought land, which is what brought arms with it.
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.
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 history of the Lemelin family in England is rooted in the coastal landscape of Cornwall during the early seventeenth century. Records confirm that members of the family were established in this region by 1620, a period when Cornwall served as a vital hub for maritime trade and mining. Given the phonetic structure of the name, it is likely that the family arrived in England as part of the movement of people across the English Channel from northern France. During this era, many families settled in southwestern England to participate in the growing tin industry or to work in the busy ports that connected the British Isles to the continent. By integrating into the local Cornish community, the early Lemelins became part of a distinct regional culture that valued seafaring skills and local craftsmanship. Their presence in the historical record during this time highlights the steady migration patterns that shaped the social fabric of early modern England.
A Germanic root meaning work, labor, or industrious.

