Map of England showing where the Ratchford arms are recorded
The Ratchford arms were recorded in Hereford, c. 1620.
Herefordshire lay on the Welsh border, where land was held in return for military service. Families there were expected to arm and to fight, and a fighting household needed a shield it could be known by.
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 Ratchford 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 Hereford.
Origin & History of the Ratchford Family in England
The family name Ratchford finds its early roots in the English county of Herefordshire. Historical records confirm that members of the family were established in this region by the year 1620. During this period, the name was likely linked to the local landscape, as many surnames from that era were derived from specific geographic features or small settlements. Life for the Ratchfords in the seventeenth century would have been centered around rural agriculture and the tight-knit village communities of the West Midlands. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the English countryside, living through a time of significant political and religious change. By tracing their presence back to this specific time and place, we can see that the Ratchfords were deeply connected to the development of local life in Herefordshire long before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ræd-ford
A river crossing associated with a council or advisor.
This name
RatchfordDerived from an Old English locational name referring to a ford belonging to a person named Raed.
also spelled
Retchforth
Retchfurd
Retchfode
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
crownSovereignty, authority and just reward
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
crownSovereignty, authority and just reward
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
