A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Sanderson family of Scotland.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ar. three bendlets sa”
The Sanderson arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.
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 Scotland in this period.
Reigning in Scotland when the Sanderson arms are first recorded.
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
The surname Sanderson is a patronymic name, which means it was originally created to identify a person as the son of Alexander. Over many centuries, the name evolved from Alexander’s son into the shortened form of Sanderson as it spread across the northern regions of England and the Scottish Lowlands. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the family had established a notable presence in Edinburgh, where records from 1748 confirm their integration into the city’s growing urban population. During this era, families with this name were often involved in the skilled trades and professional life that defined the Scottish Enlightenment. As the name moved through generations, it became a permanent fixture in the social fabric of the region, reflecting the common practice of using a father’s given name to build a lasting family identity.
Derived from the Greek name Alexandros meaning defender of men.
