Coat of Arms & Family Crests Store
 Blakeslee Coat of Arms / Blakeslee Family CrestThe surname of BLAKESLEE is of the local group of surnames and meant one who came from Blakely in Lancashire, the dweller in the wood or clearing. (The name is usually pronounced as Blakeley). Local names usually denoted where a man held his land. Early records of the name mention William de la Blekesleigh, listed in the Parliament writs of Staffordshire in 1301. Robert atte Blakeley was recorded in the year 1337 in County Yorkshire and Thomas Bleckly of County Lancashire, was documented during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377). Johannes Blakesly of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Habitation names are derived from names denoting towns, villages, farmsteads or other named places, which include rivers, houses with signs on them, regions, or whole counties. The original bearer of the name who stayed in his area might be known by the name of his farm, or the locality in the parish; someone who moved to another town might be known by the name of his village; while someone who moved to another county could acquire the name of that county or the region from which he originated. Janes Blakeley of Bury (widow) was listed in the Wills at Chester in 1626, and Ralph Blackeley of Bury, was included in the same Wills. William James, son of James and Esther Blackley was baptised at Canterbury Cathedral in the year 1791. In many parts of central and western Europe, hereditary surnames began to become fixed at around the 12th century, and have developed and changed slowly over the years. As society became more complex, and such matters as the management of tenure, and in particular the collection of taxes were delegated to special functionaries, it became imperative to distinguish a more complex system of nomenclature to differentiate one individual from another. The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armoured warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe. |
