The landed gentry and nobility of Devonshire, like the rest of the English and European gentry, bore heraldic arms from the start of the age of heraldry circa 1200-1215. The fashion for the display of heraldry ceased about the end of the Victorian era (1901) by which time most of the ancient armigerous families of Devonshire had died out, moved away or parted with their landed estates. In 2015 a very few ancient families remain in the county represented by direct male descendants, most notably Courtenay of Powderham, Fulford of Fulford, Kelly of Kelly, Cruwys of Cruwys Morchard, Clifford of Chudleigh, Acland of Killerton and Broadclyst, Wrey of Tawstock, etc. A few ancient Devon estates are still owned by descendants via female lines, for example Castle Hill, Filleigh, Molland, Incledon, Braunton, Hall, Bishop's Tawton, Newnham Park, etc. In most cases the laws of English heraldry preclude the transmission of paternal armorials via a female heiress (other than in the form of quartering), thus most of these inheritors via female lines, generally deriving from the same pool of high-status English armigerous families, bring their own paternal heraldry, possibly previously foreign to Devon, to the estates inherited. For example, the Irish arms of Gore (Earl of Arran) are now associated with Castle Hill, Filleigh, until 1958 the seat of the last male representative of the Fortescue family which originated in Devon in the 12th century. In a few cases however, male heirs via female lines have been required by the legator to seek royal licence to adopt his own arms and surname, otherwise destined to disappearance, in lieu of the legatees own. This was the case with the families most notably of Rolle, Basset, Stucley, Walrond, etc.
The following armorials are listed in the Heraldic Visitations of Devon, 1531, 1564 & 1620:
The following blazons, with spellings corrected and modernised, were recorded by Sir William Pole:
Abbot, of Hartland:Or, a cross voided between four eaglets displayed sable
Adiston, of Adeston: Argent, a fess between three pellets
Affeton, of Affeton: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three fleurs-de-lys sable
Acland, of Acland: Barry argent and sable, two pales counterchanged a fess gules over all
Alabaster, of Bicton: Azure, three cross-bows bent or
Alley, Bishop of Exeter: Azure, a pale engrailed between two lions rampant ermine crowned or
Ameredith, of Pole: Argent, a lion rampant sable collared and chained gules
Aller, of Aller: Argent, three parrots vert 2 and 1 beaked and membered gules
Arundell, of Hempston Arundell: Sable, six swallows (martlets) argent 3,2,1
Arundell of Hempston Arundell: Argent, six swallows sable, 3,2,1
Arthur, of Weston_Super_Mare: Gules, a chevron between three clarions
Ank of Anke: Gules, two bars three annulets in chief argent
Ayshford of Ayshford: Argent, three ash crops vert between two chevrons sable
Ashlegh of Ashlegh: ...a pheon...
Ashton of Ashton: Vert, three bends argent
Ashthorp of Sampford Peverell: ...a bend...
Amidas of Plymouth: Azure, a chevron argent between three acorn stalks and leaves or
Appleton: Or a chevron sable between three apples vert
Ashenden of Dartmouth: Argent, a lion rampant gules collared or
Atcomb of Atcombe: Sable, three wings argent
Atwill of Exeter: Argent, a chevron sable a pile in point counterchanged
Appeldor: Gules, a fess undee argent
Atwill: Argent, a fess three piles in chief
Atway: ... on a chief three lion's heads erased over-all a bend
Archdeacon of Haccombe: Argent, three chevrons sable
Audleigh of Tawstock, (feudal) baron of Barnstaple and Dartington: Gules fretty or
Avenell of Shepewas (Sheepwash): Three spread-eaglets (Three eagles displayed)
Avenell of Loxbere: Argent, five fusils in fess sable between two barrulets gules
Auncell: Ermine, a fess sable between a demi-lion in chief and three fusils in base 2 and 1 gules
Arscott of Dunsland: Ermine, on a chief azure two buck's heads cabossed or
Atwill: Argent, three leopard's faces azure
Atwood: Sable semee of acorns or, a lion rampant argent
Basset of Stevenstone and Beaupire: Argent, a chevron azure between three bugle horns sable
Bathe or Bathon, of Colbrooke: Ermine, a bend gules
Bastard of Efford: Or, a chevron azure
Basset of Umberleigh: Barry undée of six or and gules
Batten of Dunsland: Argent, three battle axes erect azure
Batten of Exeter: Argent, a chevron between three battle axes erect azure
Bawceyn of Washborn Bawceyne: Argent, two bars undée gules a quarter sable
Barry of Winscott: Barry of six argent and gules
Battishull of Westwike: Azure, a saltire crosslet between four owls argent
Bamfild (Bampfield): Or, on a bend gules three mullets argent
Bamfild (Bampfield): Paly of six or and vert on a bend gules three mullets argent
Baker: Argent, on a saltire engrailed sable five escallops argent on a chief of the second a lion passant argent
Barron of Buckland Barron: Argent, a chevron between three men's hearts sable
Barnhous of Kingston: Gules, two wings conjoined in lure argent
Bawcomb of Bawcombe: Argent, three bats displayed sable
Barkley or Bartlet of ... : Sable, a fess ermine between three escallops argent
Balun of ... : Barry dancetty of six argent and gules
Baunton of Combaunton (Combe Baunton): Gules, a bend between three escallops or one in chief two in base
Bale of ... : Argent, two bars gules between three mullets sable
Beandyn of ... : Azure, on a bend or three torteaux
Beaudyn: ... , a chevron between three martlets
Beaumont of Yolston (Youlston): Barry of six vairy and gules
Beaumont of Sebrescot: Barry of six vairy and gules a bezant on the second bar
Beauchamp of Ryme: Vairy, a label of three points gules
Beaupell(Beauple) of Knoweston (Knowstone): Gules, a bend vairy cotised or
Beaupell(Beauple) of Knoweston (Knowstone) (sic, Richard Beaple Mayor of Barnstaple): Gules, a bend vairy between six escallops argent
Bellew of Ashe Rogus (Ash, Braunton): Sable fretty or
