Map of England showing where the Shear arms are recorded
The Shear arms were recorded in Cornwall, c. 1620.
Cornwall was a county apart, with its own language and its own tight-knit gentry. Tin and the sea made money there, and families who made it bought land, which is what brought arms with it.
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 Shear 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 Cornwall.
Origin & History of the Shear Family in England
The family name Shear is rooted in the occupational history of medieval England, where surnames were often derived from the specific trade or craft practiced by an ancestor. It is widely believed that the name originated as a descriptor for a shearman, a skilled worker responsible for trimming the surface of woven cloth to create a smooth finish. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Shear family were established in Cornwall, a region known for its rugged coastline and deep ties to the wool and mining industries. Living in this southwestern corner of England, these early family members were likely integrated into the local agrarian or trade-based economy that defined the seventeenth-century landscape. Over time, the name evolved from a simple job title into a permanent family identifier, marking the transition from a descriptive label to a hereditary surname that has persisted through the centuries.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Scieran
Old English verb meaning to cut or shear.
This name
ShearAn occupational name for a sheep shearer or a maker of shears.
also spelled
Sheer
Sheere
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Cornwall Archives, Parish Registers of Cornwall, 1620
Reaney, Percy Hide, A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
martletA younger son, who must win his own land
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
martletA younger son, who must win his own land
