General Explanations

The Arms were the armorial bearings borne upon the shield. Often referred to as a Coat of Arms, since the surcoat (a long, sleeveless garment,) was often worn over the armour. This surcoat often had the arms on it as well as on the Shield. The Arms were always described in a particular order: beginning with the base colour, then pattern on the shield & colour, then any parts (eg the "chief"). The description of item (eg colour) came after the item itself.

Please note: Arms are not associated with surnames! They belong to individuals or sometimes, to families. It is important who your BRAILSFORD ancestors are, not that you are a BRAILSFORD! The fact that your name happens to be BRAILSFORD gives you no claim whatsoever on any of the BRAILSFORD arms borne throughout history by various people named BRAILSFORD! If you can prove descent from one of these BRAILSFORDs, then this may give you some right to its use. You would need to look into this further with appropriate Authorities.

The Crest was a figure fixed to the helmet of a commander in battle.

BRAILSFORD of Senior

Probably the Arms of Thomas BRAILSFORD of Seanor in 1611, second son of Richard, heir to his brother John, & grandson of John BRAILSFORD of Brailesford juxta Tupton.

Source: Derbyshire Pedigrees, 1569 and 1611

Arms: Or a cinquefoil pierced Sable

Explanation of Terms

Or	gold or yellow
a cinquefoil	one five-leaved plant
pierced	small hole in the middle, the colour of the background unless otherwise specified
sable	black

BRAILSFORD of Senor

Arms of descendants of Thomas BRAILSFORD & Penelope CLAY.

Source: The Visitation of Derbyshire, 1662 - 1664

Arms:Quarterly 1 & 4 Or, a cinquefoil pierced sable;
2 & 3, Argent, a chevron engrailed between three trefoils slipped sable.[CLAY]

Explanation of Terms

Quarterly 1 & 4	Shield is partitioned into quarters. Refers to top left & bottom right.
Or	gold or yellow (in qtr 1 & 4 only)
a cinquefoil	one five-leaved plant
pierced	small hole in the middle, the colour of the background unless otherwise specified
sable	black
2 & 3	Refers to top right & bottom left quarters
Argent	silver or white (in qtrs 2 & 3 only)
a chevron	carot "^" shaped (in qtrs 2 & 3 only)
engrailed	line like ocean waves (edge of chevron)
between three trefoils	between three three-leaved plants with stem (two above the chevron & one below)
slipped	torn off (stem of trefoil to a point)
sable	black (colour of trefoil)

Thomas BRAILSFORD of Barkwith House, Toft Hill and Toft Grange, LINCS

The Coat of Arms granted to Thomas BRAILSFORD Esq, of Barkwith House in 1825. Courtesy of , who provides Arms FREE of charge to all who request them.

Explanation of Terms

Or	gold or yellow
a cinquefoil	one five-leaved plant
sable	black
on a chief	wide bar across the top of the shield
indented	zigzag at bottom of bar
ermine	fur of the ermine
two pommes	two green roundels
charged with a cross	a simple cross inside
argent	silver or white

Crest of Thomas Brailsford Esq Of Barkwith House
Crest - A Unicorns head, argent, erased, gules, armed and maned, or entwined by a serpent, proper and charged on the neck with a pomme, and thereon a cross, as in the arms.

Explanation of Terms

unicorns head
argent	silver or white
erased	as if the head had been jaggedly torn from the body
gules	red; colour of blood where the head has been ripped from the body. If the blood was dripping from the neck, it would have been described as "distilling blood"
armed	the horn, teeth, claws, hooves when a different colour
maned	the beard and mane when a different colour
or	yellow
entwined by a serpent	entwined by a serpent, or snake
proper	natural colour; mid-brown
and charged on the neck with a pomme	inside the unicorn's neck is a green roundel
and theron a cross	a simple cross inside the roundel

Further Discussion

Approximate image of the Crest granted to Thomas BRAILSFORD Esq, of Barkwith House in 1825. The serpent is not quite correct as it should be light and mid brown and the entwining is not quite right, but it will give you the idea. It also had a green roundel with a white cross on the unicorn's neck.

I do not have an exact image of the Crest. However, from the explanation of terms above, perhaps the Crest looked something like this:

A unicorn's head, jaggedly torn at the neck, white or silver in color, with a yellow mane and horn. It was encircled by a snake of natural colour, with the head perhaps at the top. On the Unicorn's neck is a green roundel with a white cross, in the same way as in the Coat of Arms.

Motto - In Jehovna fides mea

Seat - Toft Grange, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

BRAILSFORD of Welley

Arms of William BRAYLESFORD, son of James, grandson of Alexander BRAYLESFORD of Harlaxton in Com LINC

Source: Visitation of Nottinghamshire, 1662 - 1664. Certified London 11 Nov 1662 by William BRAYLESFORD

Arms: Or, a cinquefoil and a canton cable

Or	gold or yellow
a cinquefoil	one five-leaved plant
canton	small square
cable	???

BRAYLESFORD of London

Source: London Visitation Pedigrees, 1664

Arms: 1 & 4, Or, a cinquefoil sable;
2, Azure, six martlets or, 3, 2 & 1;
3, Argent, three eagles' (?) heads erased gules within a bordure engrailed azure bezantee; a crescent on a crescent for difference.

1 & 4	Shield is partitioned into quarters. Refers to top left & bottom right.
Or	gold or yellow (in qtr 1 & 4 only)
a cinquefoil	one five-leaved plant (not pierced)
sable	black (cinquefoil)
2	Shield is partitioned into quarters. Refers to top right.
azure	blue (in qtr 2 only)
six martlets	six ????
Or 3, 2 & 1	gold or yellow (colour of 3 martlets??)
3	Shield is partitioned into quarters. Refers to bottom left
Argent	silver or white (in qtr 3 only)
three eagles' (?) heads	three eagles' (?) heads
erased gules	as if the head had been jaggedly torn from the body with red at this torn edge
within a bordure	a border around qtr 3
engrailed	line like ocean waves (edge of bordure)
azure	blue (border of qtr 3 only)
bezantee	??
a crescent on a crescent	crescent
for difference	as an addition to ancestor's shield, to make it different

BRAILSFORD of Brailsford

Source: From a seal of Sir Henry de BRAILSFORD of 1358 of Senior 1611 with a martlett for difference.

Crest: out of a ducal coronet, or, a stag's head affrontee proper
A stag's head emerging out of a gold crown

BRAILSFORD

Arms of the descendants of Thomas BRAILSFORD of Tupton

Source: FMG MS 586

Arms: Or, a cinquefoil sable

Thomas Brailsford [son of Thomas BRAILSFORD of "the Hill", North Wingfield]

These Arms were granted 1826.

Arms Of BRAILSFORD, South Normanton Or a cinquefoil sable on a chief indented ermine two pommes each charged with a cross argent.

Crest: a unicorn's head erased argent, armed, langued and crined or, charged on the neck with a pomme charged with a cross argent as in the arms.

Motto: In Johova Fides Mea In Jehovah is my trust

Ralph BRAILSFORD of Brailsford, 1330

As on a seal of Ralph Brailsford of Brailsford, 1330.

Used by Thomas Brailsford of Senior as in Church glass at Crich.

Arms:Argent on bent gules three cinquefoils or

Joseph BRAILSFORD of South Carolina, (abt 1720-1759)