The
landed gentry and
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
of
Devonshire, like the rest of the English and European gentry, bore
heraldic arms from the start of the age of heraldry ''circa'' 1200–1215. The fashion for the display of heraldry ceased about the end of the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
(1901) by which time most of the ancient arms-bearing families of Devonshire had died out, moved away or parted with their landed estates.
In the 21st century, a very few ancient families remain in the county represented by direct male descendants, including
Courtenay of
Powderham, Fulford of
Fulford, Kelly of Kelly, Cruwys of
Cruwys Morchard,
Clifford of
Chudleigh,
Acland of
Killerton and
Broadclyst,
Wrey of
Tawstock. A few ancient Devon estates are still owned by descendants via female lines, for example
Castle Hill, Filleigh,
Molland,
Incledon, Braunton,
Hall, Bishop's Tawton,
Newnham Park. In most cases, the laws of English heraldry preclude the transmission of paternal arms via a female heiress (other than in the form of
quartering), thus most of these inheritors via female lines bring their own paternal heraldry to the estates inherited.
For example, the Irish arms of Gore (
Earl of Arran) are now associated with
Castle Hill, Filleigh, until 1958 the seat of the last male representative of the
Fortescue family, which originated in Devon in the 12th century. In a few cases, however, male heirs via female lines have been required by the legator to seek royal licence to adopt his own arms and surname, otherwise destined to disappearance, in lieu of the legatees own. This was the case with the families most notably of
Rolle,
Basset,
Stucley,
Walrond, etc.
The antiquary
Sir William Pole (died 1635) compiled a list of
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
s of Devon families. It was published with much other material in 1791 as ''Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon''.
[ Pole, Sir William (died 1635), ]
Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon
', Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791. pp. 467–510
List of Devon arms
The following
armorials are listed in the
Heraldic Visitations of Devon, 1531, 1564 & 1620:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
See also
*
Flag of Devon
*
Cornish heraldry
*
Dorset heraldry
Notes
References
Sources
*
Cherry, Bridget &
Pevsner, Nikolaus, ''The Buildings of England: Devon''. Yale University Press, 2004.
*
Pole, Sir William (died 1635),
Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon',
Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791.
*
Risdon, Tristram (died 1640),
Survey of Devon'. With considerable additions. London, 1811.
*
{{Heraldry of the British Isles
History of Devon