A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Virtue 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)“Ar. three bars vert”
The Virtue arms were recorded in Berks, c. 1620.
Berkshire sat on the road west from London with the royal castle at Windsor in the middle of it. Court families bought estates within reach, and an estate near the court almost always came with a coat of 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 Virtue 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 family name Virtue is a descriptive surname that likely originated in England during the Middle Ages. Names of this type were often given to individuals based on their personal character or their reputation within a local community. By the early 17th century, the family had established a clear presence in the county of Berkshire, specifically appearing in records dating back to 1620. During this period, families in rural areas were often tied to the land and local parish life. As the name spread through the region, it remained associated with the social structures of the time, reflecting how surnames evolved from simple nicknames into permanent family identifiers.
Latin term meaning strength, courage, excellence, or moral character.
