Map of England showing where the Plumb arms are recorded
The Plumb arms were recorded in Essex, c. 1620.
Essex lay close enough to London for City money to buy land there. Merchants who prospered moved out to estates within a day's ride, and a new landowner almost always wanted arms to go with the ground.
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.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Plumb arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
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.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Essex.
Origin & History of the Plumb Family in England
The surname Plumb is rooted in the occupational history of medieval England, where it served as a descriptive name for a person who worked with lead. In Middle English, the word for lead was spelled as plumbe, which was derived from the Latin word plumbum. Individuals who carried this name were often employed as plumbers, a trade that involved working with lead pipes, roofing materials, or stained glass windows in cathedrals. By the early 17th century, the family had established a notable presence in the county of Essex. Records from 1620 confirm that members of the Plumb family were active in this region, where they likely contributed to the local agricultural or trade economy. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved into various forms, but the connection to the metalworking trade remains the defining feature of its early origins.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
plumbum
Latin term for the metal lead.
This name
PlumbAn occupational name for a worker who fashioned objects out of lead.
also spelled
Plumb
Plumbe
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Essex Record Office, Quarter Sessions Records, 1620
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bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
