Tyrells of South Ockendon and Thornton

1. Az. three escallops or. This coat is placed here because it is listed as ‘Tirrell, South Okingdon’ by Berry. Under this heading Papworth also gives the same, but in addition attributes it to three other families, which makes for some confusion. A basic shield of three escallops, ringing the colour changes (but not or on az.) is associated with the family Dacre, the earliest recorded probably being gu. three escallops arg. for Sire William de Acre, 1308-14 roll, the name clearly deriving from an ancestor at the seige of Acre, 1103. Cockle-shells were the symbol of pilgrims and as such, or a crusading memento, an early Tyrell of South Ockendon may have borne these arms. Thomas, declared the first of the line of Tyrells of South Ockendon, seems rather late in the day - mid to late 15th century - to take such a derivative coat, and furthermore, the famous Scrope v. Grosvenor controversy, concerning two men with the same arms, had occurred nearly a century previously. It would seem, therefore, that if some Tyrell did bear these arms it must certainly have been one of whom we know nothing, perhaps a younger son several generations back in the family from this point.

2. Thomas and Elisabeth Bruin. Quarterly (1) and (4) az. a cross moline or. Bruin (Papworth), (2) and (3) lozengy ermine and gu. Rokele (Papworth). Elisabeth should, logically, be represented thus as the Rokele arms were brought in by Bruin.

3. William and Elisabeth Bodley. (?) Gu. five martlets arg. on a chief indented or three crowns az. Bodley (Papworth). But, arg. five martlets, 2, 2, 1, sa. a chief az. or other similar coat might be applicable.

4. (and 24.) Humphrey and Jane Ingleton. Arg. a chevron between three tuns sa. flaming proper. Ingleton (Papworth). Borne as an escutcheon of pretence. This is the canting, and commoner, of the two Ingleton coats.

5. George and Elisabeth Montague, first wife. Arg. three fusils gu. within a border (?engrailed) sa. Montague (Papworth).

6. George and Margery Cook, second wife. ? arms.

7. Sir Edward and Mary Lee, first wife. Arg. a fess between three crescents sa. Lee, Quarendon, Buckinghamshire (Papworth). Could also be the quartered coat of Lee (see Plate III, 32). Note.—The crescent arms occur on the monument at Hardwick, Buckinghamshire, to Sir Robert Lee, Kt., son and heir of Benedict Lee, Mary’s father.

8. Sir Edward and Margaret Aston, second wife. (?) Arg. a fess and in chief three lozenges sa. Aston (Papworth).

9. Sir Edward, Bart., and Elisabeth Kingsmill, one wife. Arg. crusilly fitchy a chevron ermines between three crosses moline sa. Kingsmill, Hampshire (Berry).

10. Sir Edward, Bart., and Elizabeth Watson, other wife. Arg. on a chevron engrailed az. between three marlets sa. three crescents or. Watson, Rutland (Papworth).

11. Sir Toby, Bart., and Edith Windebank, first wife. Vert on a chevron between three falcons volant or three trefoils slipped sa. Windibanke (Papworth).

12. Sir Toby, Bart., and Lucy Barrington, second wife. Arg. three chevrons gu. a label of three points az. Barrington, Essex (Papworth).

13. Sir Thomas, Bart., and Frances Blount. (?) Barry nebuly of eight or and sa. Blount (Papworth) (Plate III, 13).

14. Sir Harry, Bart., and Hester Blount. Arg. two bars az. an escarbuncle gu. Blount, Staffordshire (Papworth).

Blount Arms

There are three Blount ladies married into the Tyrrell family:

1. Constance, the wife of Sir Thomas of Heron, and daughter of Sir John Blount, Lord Mountjoy. Her arms are illustrated as barry nebuly of six or and sable, the coat of the ancient family from which descended Blount, Baron Mountjoy (Papworth).

2. Frances, the wife of Sir Thomas, Bart., of Thornton, daughter of Sir Henry Blount of Tittenhanger, Hertfordshire. Illustrated as barry nebuly of eight, or and sable, for Blount of Tittenhanger (Berry).

3. Hester, the wife of Sir Harry, Bart., of Thornton, daughter of Charles Blount, esq.

In the visitation of 1612 and 1634 are given for Blount:

(a) barry nebuly of eight or and sable.

(b) argent two bars az. over all an escarbuncle or.

This latter seems improbable, heraldically speaking, as it involves placement of gold on silver. However, arg. 2 bars az. over all an escarbuncle gu. Blount, Staffs., is given by Papworth.

However, both Sir Thomas and Sir Harry were not born until after the date of these visitations which could not therefore contain a record of the arms of their respective wives—unless these had been entered by a later hand. But Lipscombe gives Charles Blount as of Blount’s Hall, Staffordshire, and in accordance with this information the arms of Hester are assumed to be those as given by Papworth for Blount, Staffordshire.

15. Sir Charles, Bart., and Jane Elisabeth Sellon. I cannot find any arms for Sellon.

This account of the Tyrell family comes from the book The Tyrells of England by O.F. Brown, M.B., B.S., published 1982 by Phillimore ISBN 0 85033 258 X

I am most grateful to Dr. Oliver Brown Chairman of the Wolverton and District Archaeological Society for all his historical research in the area. Also Barbara Brown who very kindly gave me permission to use extracts from his book.