A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Montclair family of France.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's crossJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or au saut. de gu.”
The Montclair arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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 France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Montclair arms are first recorded.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The name Montclair originates from the French language and translates literally to clear mountain. This descriptive name suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a prominent or easily visible hill in the landscape. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were firmly established in the region of Bretagne. During this period, families in this part of France were often deeply connected to the local agricultural economy and the unique cultural traditions of the Breton people. As the family grew, they moved through the rural villages of the province, maintaining their identity while adapting to the social changes occurring in seventeenth-century France. This early presence in Bretagne serves as the foundation for the family history, marking the era when the name first appeared in official parish registers and local administrative documents.
Latin for clear or bright mountain.
