A Roll of Early American Arms

Heraldry in the USA
A Roll of Early American Arms

Compiled by Eric Hall, Arian Collins, and Joseph McMillan
Illustrated by Eric Hall, Robert Tucker, Scott Denison, Joseph McMillan, and Chuck Glass

Personal heraldry has been used in what is now the United States since the earliest European settlements. This roll of arms borne in the present-day United States before 1825, compiled by AHS members, is intended to document the vitality of the American heraldic tradition over the years.

Note: Arms are included in this roll based on use as attributed by the sources given. Where it has been possible to validate the user's right to the arms or actual use of them, that information is provided. Names given in italics indicate that we are unaware of any contemporary evidence that the person to whom the sources attribute the arms actually used them, but this should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of non-use of the arms.

Arms are indexed by the first letter of the armiger's last name. Names beginning with the particules "de," "von," "van," and the like are generally found under the name of the principal word in the surname. Where a person bore multiple surnames, or a surname and title, the arms appear under the name by which he or she is best known in the United States.

ARM NAME BLAZON COMMENTS SOURCE
Washbourne, John (from Wichenford, Worcs; to Duxbury, Mass, by 1632)

Argent on a fess between six martlets Gules three quatrefoils Argent

See similar arms (of same man?) below

NEHGS #311
Warren, William, (of Boston, 1715)

Gules a lion rampant crowned Sable [sic]

Crozier 1
Warren, Thomas (of Smith's Fort, Surry Co, Va, 1640)

Azure a cross between two martlets in the 1st and 4th quarters and two chaplets in the 2nd and 3rd all Or

From Ripple, Kent

NEHGS #479
1. Warren, Arthur (Nottingham, Eng, 1616-Weymouth, Mass, ca. 1659)
2. Warren, Thomas (Poynton, Cheshire, 1604-Sanbach, Cheshire, 1677)

Checky Or and Azure on a canton Gules a lion rampant Argent

2. Thomas Warren patented 300 acres in Charles City Co, Va

1. Crozier 1, Matthews
2. Crozier 2
1. Warren, Richard (London, 1580-Plymouth, Mass, 1628)
2. Warren, John (England, ca. 1585-Watertown, Mass, 1667)
3. Warren, Dr John (Roxbury, Mass, 1753-Boston, 1815)
4. Warren, Dr John Collins (Boston, 1778-1856)

Gules a lion rampant Argent a chief checky Or and Azure

3. Seal, and on a silver cup by Revere; founder of Harvard Medical School
4. Bookplate; son of John Warren, #3

1. Crozier 1, Matthews
2. Crozier 1
3. Bolton
4. Bolton
Warner, Col Augustine (Norwich, Eng, 1610-Gloucester Co, Va, 1674)

Vert a cross engrailed Or

On old silver belonging to descendants

Bolton, Crozier 2
Warner, Andrew (Essex, Eng, 1600-Hadley, Mass, 1684)

Or a bend engrailed between six roses Gules.

Crozier 1, Matthews
Ware, ----- (Massachusetts, pre-1780)

[Or] two lions passant contourny on a bordure [Azure] eight escallops [Or]

On a silver teapot by Josiah Austin (d. 1780); tinctures speculative

Bolton, Met Mus of Art (N.Y.)
Wardwell, William (Lincolnshire, Eng, 1607-Boston, 1670)

Argent on a bend between six martlets Gules three roundels Or

Crozier 1
Ward, ----- (Massachusetts, ca 1800?)

Ermine two bars Azure the upper charged with two martlets and the lower with one martlet Or

Painting by John Coles