Map of Wales showing where the Redwood arms are recorded
The Redwood arms were recorded in Glamorgan, c. 1647.
Glamorgan was the richest part of Wales, with good coastal farmland and Norman castles along it. The families who held those castles kept their land for centuries, and long holding brought recorded 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 Wales in this period.
Charles I of England
Sovereign of the period
Charles I of England
1625–1649
Reigning in Wales when the Redwood arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Wales
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 Glamorgan.
Origin & History of the Redwood Family in Wales
The surname Redwood is a locative name, which means it likely originated from a specific place or a prominent natural feature near where the first family members lived. In the case of the Redwood family, historical records confirm their presence in the county of Glamorgan, Wales, as early as 1647. During this period, families often took names based on the landscape, such as a wooded area known for trees with reddish bark or timber. By settling in Glamorgan, the family became part of a region with a rich history of local trade and agriculture. Over the following centuries, the family name became firmly rooted in the local community, reflecting the deep connection between the people of Wales and their ancestral lands.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Rēad-wudu
Old English words for red and wood or forest.
This name
RedwoodA topographic name for someone who lived near a forest with reddish trees.
also spelled
Redwode
Related arms
Voss, Vaus, Vaulx, de Vallibus, or Vauxrecorded with Redwood, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Clark, George Thomas, Limbus Patrum Morganiae et Glamorganiae: Being the Genealogies of the Older Families of the Lordships of Morgan and Glamorgan, 1886
Glamorgan Archives, Quarter Sessions Records of the County of Glamorgan, 1647
Matthews, John Hobson, Cardiff Records: Being Selections from the Borough Records of Cardiff, 1898
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.