Our Family Crests
Some of the Family Crests and Coats of Arms from our ancestral lines are detailed below. I'll add others and details as I find them.
The Wright Line | |
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Wright[1] (Plowland in Holderness, co. York; John Wright Esq, of Plowland in Holderness, m temp. Henry IV., Alice, dau. and co-heiress of John Ryther, and was ancestor of the Rev. Francis Wright, D.D., who d. in 1655). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, or, a fess chequy ar. and az. betw. three eagles' heads of the second, for Wright; 2nd and 3rd, az. three crescents or, for Ryther . Crest — A unicorn pass. reguard. quarterly ar. and az. armed or. |
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Wright (Bolton-upon-Swale, co, York, 1665). Or, a fess componée ar. and az. betw. three eagles' heads erased of the last, a canton gu. Crest — A unicorn pass. reguard. ar. |
The Stafford Line | |
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Stafford[2] (Earl of Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, Baron Stafford. &c., attained 1521; descended from Robert de Tonei, Governor of the Castle of Stafford, from which office he and his descendants assumed the surname of de Stafford; his great-grandson, Robert de Stafford, d. cir. 1189, leaving an only dau. and heir, Milicent Stafford m. 5 Richard I., a.d 1133, Hervey Bagot, a gentleman of ancient lineage in co. Stafford; Hervey de Stafford the son and heir of this marriage, assumed his mothers surname, and was the progenitor of the illustrious house of Stafford. His great-grandson, Edmund de Stafford, was summoned to Parliament 1299. Ralph second Baron Stafford, K.G., one of the Founder Knights of the order, was created, 1351, Earl of Stafford ; Edmund, fifth Earl of StaffordK.G.,m. the Lady Anne Plantagenet, eldest dau. of Thomas (of Woodstock), Duke of Buckingham, youngest son of Edward III., and sister and eventual heiress of Humphrey Earl of Buckingham, by who he had an only son, Humphrey, sixth Earl of Stafford, K.G., created in consequence of "is near alliance in blood to the Crown," 1444, Duke of Buckingham: his grandson, Edward, Third Duke of Buckingham, was beheaded 1521, when the splendour, princely honours and great wealth of the Staffords sank for ever. The Emperor Charles V. hearing of the fall of the Duke, exclaimed, in allusion to Cardinal Wolsey, who was the chief instigator of his arraignment, "A Butcher's dog has killed the finest Buck in England"). Or, a chev. gu. Crest — Out of a ducal coronet gu, a swans head erect betw. two wings elevated ar. |
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Stafford (Baron Stafford surrendered to the Crown 1639; Henry Stafford, only son of Edward, third and last Duke of Buckingham, was restored in blood and summoned to Parliament 1548. An Act passed 1547 declared that he and his heirs male of his body were to be taken and reputed as Lord Stafford, &c. He m. Ursula dau. of Sir Richard Pole, K.G., by his wife, Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury, only dau. of George Duke of Clarence, brother of Edward IV. Henry fifth Baron Stafford, d. unm. 1637, leaving his sister his heir general, Mary wife of Sir William Howard, K.B., but the barony reverted to his kinsmen. Roger Stafford, grandson of the first baron, through his third son Hon. Richard Stafford; he petitioned Charles I. for the barony, but the King decided that he had no part of the inheritance of the Lord's Stafford, or any lands, he should resign the barony to the Crown w, which he did by deed, dated 7 Dec 1639). Or, o chev. gu. Crest — Out of a ducal coronet per pale gu. and sa. a demiswan rising, wings elevated and displ. ar. beaked also gu. Supporters — Two swans ppr. beaked and legged sa. ducally gorged per pale gu. and of the second. |
The Bentley Line | |
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Bentley[3] (Derbyshire and Staffordshire). Or, three bends sa. Crest — A spaniel dog pass. ar. |
The Ryther Line | |
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Rythre[4] (Baron Rythre, extinct temp. Edward II.; Sir William Rythre was summoned to Parliament 1299, his son John, second Baron Rythre, had a charter for free warren in all his demesne lands in co. York, but neither he or his descendants, if any, had summons to Parliament). Az. three crescents or. |
The Umfreville Line | |
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Umfreville[5] (Prudhoe Castle, Harbottle Castle, Riddesdale, co. Northumberland, Holmside, co. Durham, Higham Hall and Stoke, co. Suffolk, Langham co. Bucks;, the senior line of Umfreville, seated at Prudhoe Castle, became extinct at the decease, in 1381 of Gillbert de Umfreville, third Earl of Angus. Umfreville, of Stoke and Farnham Royal, Descended from Sir Roger Umfreville, K.G., second son of Sir Thomas Umfreville), Knt., of Harbottle Castle, son of Robert, second Earl of Angus. The last male heir William Umfreville, Esq., of the inner Temple, Exigencer of the Court of Common Pleas, left an only dau. and heir, Mary Umfreville, b. in 1743, wife of Edward Lake Pickering, Esq., of the Exchequer Office). Gu. a cinquefoil or, within eight crosses pattée in orle of the last. Crest — Out of a mural crown gu. a griffins head issuant erm. Another Crest — Out of a ducal coronet or, an eagles head ar. |
The Neville Line | |
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Nevill[6] (Nevile or Neville Raby, co. Durham; one of the most illustrious families in European genealogy. Ranulph de Nevill, was summoned to Parliament ans a Baronm, 8 June 1294, and his great-grandson, Ralph de Nevill, fourth Lord Nevill, of Raby, was created Earl of Westmoreland, 1397). Gu. a saltire ar. |
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Nevill (Earl of Westmoreland ; Ralph de Nevill, fourth Lord Neville, of Raby, was created Earl of Westmoreland 1397; title attained 13 Elizabeth, A.D. 1545). Gu. a saltire ar. Crest — Out of a ducal coronet or, a bulls head pied. The seal of Ralph, fourth Lord Neville, of Raby, and first Earl of Westmoreland, exhibits a shield, Gu. a saltire ar. the crest of the pied bull, and for supporters two greyhounds collared. |
The de la Pole Line | |
| Pole, or De la Pole[7] (Baron de la pole, Earl of Pembroke, and Duke of Suffolk, forfeited 1513; derived from Micheal de la Pole, an opulent merchant at Kingston-upon-hull, temp. Edward III.; Richard de la Pole, the last male heir of this gallant race, son of John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, by the lady Elizabeth Planagenant, his wife, sister of King Edward IV., was slain in battle of Prvia in 1524, when the Duke of Bourbon honoured his remains with splendid obsequies). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. a fess between three leopards' faces or; 2nd and 3rd, per fess gu. and ar. a lion ramp. or, Crest A savage man's head couped at the shoulders ppr. banded or, studded az. | |
The Thornton Line | |
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Thornton[8]Ancient Arms — .... a chevron between three hawthorne sprays. These appear in Stonegrave Church, in a sculpture of the fifteenth century. In the seventeenth century the sprays were changed into trees. Crest — On a wreath argent and sable, a lions head erased purple, gorged with a crown of the first. |
Source 1:
The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales;
comprising A Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time.
by Sir Bernard Burke, C.B., LL.D, Ulster King of Arms.
Published by Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, London, 1884.
[1]Wright p. 1139
[2]Stafford pp. 958-959
[3]Bentley p. 72
[4]Ryther / Rythre p. 884
[5]Umfreville pp. 1043-1044
[6]Nevill p. 727
[7]De la Pole p. 810
Contains a Dictionary of Terms Used In Heraldry. p. 37
Source 2:
The Autobiography of Mrs. Alice Thornton of East Newton, Co. York.
Published for the Surtees Society, by Andrews and Co., Durham; Whittaker and Co., 13 Ave Maria Lane; Bernard Quaritch, 15 Picadilly;
Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh. 1875.
Downloads
The Crest for William Wright of Plowland depicted on the background of these pages has been compiled based on the image facing page 512[9] of The history and antiquities of the seigniory of Holderness, in the East-Riding of the county of York by George Poulson Esq.
Download the William Wright of Plowland Crest.
Source:
The history and antiquities of the seigniory of Holderness, in the East-Riding of the county of York.
by George Poulson Esq.
Published by Thomas Topping, Bowlalley Lane; and W Pickering, London, 1841.
[9]William Wright and Ann Thornton of Plowland Crest and Tomb p. 512
Other References
A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry; or, Commoners of Great Britian and Ireland. Volume II.
by John Burke Esq.
Published by Henry Colburn, 13 Great Marlbourgh Street, London, 1837.
Wright. of Bolton-on-Swale p. 678
