A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Soulsby family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Erm. four bars gu”
The Soulsby arms were recorded in York, c. 1620.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried 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 England in this period.
Reigning in England when the Soulsby arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Soulsby is of locative origin, meaning it was likely derived from a specific place name in Northern England. Linguists believe the name stems from the Old Norse personal name Sölvi combined with the Old Norse word by, which refers to a farmstead or a village. This suggests that the earliest members of the family were settlers in the Danelaw region, where Scandinavian influence was strong during the Middle Ages. By the early 17th century, the family had established a clear presence in the historic city of York. Records from 1620 confirm that Soulsbys were living and working within the city walls during this period. As York was a major center for trade and administration, these early family members were likely integrated into the urban economy of Northern England long before the name spread further across the country.
Old Norse personal name meaning sun or solemnity.
