Family Tree

of Trudy Mae COWLEY

The text reads:

The surname of COWLEY was a locational name 'of Cowley', parishes in the Counties of Gloucestershire, Middlesex and Oxfordshire.  Local surnames, by far the largest group, derived from a place name where the man held land or from the place from which he had come, or where he actually lived.  These local surnames were originally preceded by a preposition such as "de", "atte", "by" or "in".  The names may derive from a manor held, from working in a religious dwelling or from literally living by a wood or marsh or by a stream.  Following the Crusades in Europe a need was felt for a family name.  This was recognised by those of noble blood, who realised the prestige and practical advantage it would add to their status.  Early records of the name mention Roger de Couele of the County of Oxfordshire in 1273.  William de Coule of London was documented in the year of 1314.  William de Colley of the County of Derbyshire was recorded in 1327.  Saray, daughter of Walter Cowley was buried at St. James's, Clerkenwell, London in 1622.

During the Middle Ages, when people were unable to read or write, signs were needed for all visual identification.  For several centuries city streets in Britain were filled with signs of all kinds, public houses, tradesmen and even private householders found them necessary.  This wan an age when there were no numbered houses, and an address was a descriptive phrase that made us of a convenient landmark.  At this time, coats of arms came into being, for the practical reason that  men went into battle heavily armed and were difficult to recognise.  It became the custom for them to adorn their helmets with distinctive crests, and to paint their shields with animals and the like.  Coats of arms accompanied the development of surnames, becoming hereditary in the same way.

The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory.  Ulster King of Arms in 1884.

ARMS - Argent a lion rampant sable within a bordure engrailed of the 2nd charged with ten mullets of the first.

CREST - On a ducal coronet or a demi lion ermines.

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