Hello again, everyone -- I've followed the discussion regarding the source of the Webb family name with great interest, and look forward to reading more about it via the DNA newsletter. In the interim, I thought you might enjoy the following info. These notes come from a small poster with the following write-up, also showing the heraldic emblem described at the end. There is no manufacturer shown on the poster, nor any source for the information. Note: this is not the known family crest for David Webb and family � theirs being a very different heraldry (art to be found on this disk) and designated "Webb of Woodville". The Webb of Woodville crest features a phoenix, but I don't know all the proper heraldic terminology to describe it. (I've scanned it into the computer, but have only a black and white version, so don't know what the colors were.) There is apparently some possibility that the crest was authorized as early as the Crusades, but that has not been confirmed. So -- acorrding to the poster -- The surname WEBB is occupational in origin being derived from the Old English webba, "weaver". Once everyone was known by a single name but this led to confusion and so an extra name was adopted. Thus, a man named John who was a weaver might be known as �John (the) Webb", the additional name eventually becoming hereditary as a surname Early records mention Alger le Webba of Oxfordshire in 1130, Adam le Webbe of Essex, and zElyas le Webbe of Buckinghamshire appear in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. George Webb (1581-1642) was Bishop of Limerick, and the publisher of many theological and educational works. Among early emigrants from England to America was Richard Webb who is recorded in Massachusetts in 1632. James Watson Webb (1802 � 1884) was an American journalist and diplomat. The arms illustrated may be described heraldically as: Gules, a cross between four falcons or; Crest: an eagle�s head argent issuing out of a ducal coronet or. Writers of the past have attributed symbolism to the tinctures and charges of heraldry � thus, gules (red) is said to denote Magnanimity and or (gold) Generosity. The falcon signifies one eager or hot in the pursuit of an object much desired. Moira L. Mefein [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

This is interesting. But what most people don't realize about arms is that only the eldest son may use the arms of his father, and only after the father is dead. The other children usually alter the arms of their father in some way. So, for example, the arms of the Webbs of Ashwick in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, England are discribed in the 1682 Visitation to Gloucester as "per fes Gules and Argent a cross flory between four martlets counterchanged." This means: gules - red argent - silver or white fes - military belt or girdle of honour; represents readiness to serve the public cross flory - one who has conquered martlet - a footless swallow, symbol of the fourth son (mark of difference); may signify one who has to subsist by virtue and merit, not inheritance counterchanged - when a charge superimposed over a color and a metal has its tincture reversed The changed version of the arms usually has some resembalance to the original arms of the father. That is one of the ways one can connect family. Kathryn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Moira L. Mefein" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 10:54 PM Subject: [WEBB] Webb surname and crests > Hello again, everyone -- > > I've followed the discussion regarding the source of the Webb family name > with great interest, and look forward to reading more about it via the DNA > newsletter. In the interim, I thought you might enjoy the following info. > These notes come from a small poster with the following write-up, also > showing the heraldic emblem described at the end. There is no manufacturer > shown on the poster, nor any source for the information. Note: this is not > the known family crest for David Webb and family - theirs being a very > different heraldry (art to be found on this disk) and designated "Webb of > Woodville". The Webb of Woodville crest features a phoenix, but I don't > know all the proper heraldic terminology to describe it. (I've scanned it > into the computer, but have only a black and white version, so don't know > what the colors were.) There is apparently some possibility that the crest > was authorized as early as the Crusades, but that has not been confirmed. > > So -- acorrding to the poster -- > The surname WEBB is occupational in origin being derived from the Old > English webba, "weaver". > Once everyone was known by a single name but this led to confusion and so > an extra name was adopted. Thus, a man named John who was a weaver might > be known as 'John (the) Webb", the additional name eventually becoming > hereditary as a surname > Early records mention Alger le Webba of Oxfordshire in 1130, Adam le Webbe > of Essex, and zElyas le Webbe of Buckinghamshire appear in the Hundred > Rolls of 1273. > George Webb (1581-1642) was Bishop of Limerick, and the publisher of many > theological and educational works. > Among early emigrants from England to America was Richard Webb who is > recorded in Massachusetts in 1632. James Watson Webb (1802 - 1884) was an > American journalist and diplomat. > The arms illustrated may be described heraldically as: Gules, a cross > between four falcons or; Crest: an eagle's head argent issuing out of a > ducal coronet or. Writers of the past have attributed symbolism to the > tinctures and charges of heraldry - thus, gules (red) is said to denote > Magnanimity and or (gold) Generosity. The falcon signifies one eager or > hot in the pursuit of an object much desired. > > > Moira L. Mefein > [email protected] > Why Wait? Move to EarthLink. > > > ==== WEBB Mailing List ==== > <<Webb Genealogy; History and Family Traditions >> > To change list modes, leave, or contact list admin > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/w/webb.html > Use < http://resources.rootsweb.com/surnames/w/e/WEBB/ > > To connect to your list website and post your web links and family pages > To Webb notes see http://www.wvi.com/~wb > >