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 sableAdiston, of Adeston: Argent, a fess between three pelletsAffeton, of Affeton: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three fleurs-de-lys sableAcland, of Acland: Barry argent and sable, two pales counterchanged a fess gules over allAlabaster, of Bicton: Azure, three cross-bows bent orAlley, Bishop of Exeter: Azure, a pale engrailed between two lions rampant ermine crowned orAmeredith, of Pole: Argent, a lion rampant sable collared and chained gulesAller, of Aller: Argent, three parrots vert 2 and 1 beaked and membered gulesArundell, of Hempston Arundell: Sable, six swallows (martlets) argent 3,2,1Arundell of Hempston Arundell: Argent, six swallows sable, 3,2,1Arthur, of Weston_Super_Mare: Gules, a chevron between three clarionsAnk of Anke: Gules, two bars three annulets in chief argentAyshford of Ayshford: Argent, three ash crops vert between two chevrons sableAshlegh of Ashlegh: ...a pheon...Ashton of Ashton: Vert, three bends argentAshthorp of Sampford Peverell: ...a bend...Amidas of Plymouth: Azure, a chevron argent between three acorn stalks and leaves orAppleton: Or a chevron sable between three apples vertAshenden of Dartmouth: Argent, a lion rampant gules collared orAtcomb of Atcombe: Sable, three wings argentAtwill of Exeter: Argent, a chevron sable a pile in point counterchangedAppeldor: Gules, a fess undee argentAtwill: Argent, a fess three piles in chiefAtway: ... on a chief three lion's heads erased over-all a bendArchdeacon of Haccombe: Argent, three chevrons sableAudleigh of Tawstock, (feudal) baron of Barnstaple and Dartington: Gules fretty orAvenell of Shepewas (Sheepwash): Three spread-eaglets (Three eagles displayed)Avenell of Loxbere: Argent, five fusils in fess sable between two barrulets gulesAuncell: Ermine, a fess sable between a demi-lion in chief and three fusils in base 2 and 1 gulesArscott of Dunsland: Ermine, on a chief azure two buck's heads cabossed orAtwill: Argent, three leopard's faces azureAtwood: Sable semee of acorns or, a lion rampant argentBasset of Stevenstone and Beaupire: Argent, a chevron azure between three bugle horns sableBathe or Bathon, of Colbrooke: Ermine, a bend gulesBastard of Efford: Or, a chevron azureBasset of Umberleigh: Barry undée of six or and gulesBatten of Dunsland: Argent, three battle axes erect azureBatten of Exeter: Argent, a chevron between three battle axes erect azureBawceyn of Washborn Bawceyne: Argent, two bars undée gules a quarter sableBarry of Winscott: Barry of six argent and gulesBattishull of Westwike: Azure, a saltire crosslet between four owls argentBamfild (Bampfield): Or, on a bend gules three mullets argentBamfild (Bampfield): Paly of six or and vert on a bend gules three mullets argentBaker: Argent, on a saltire engrailed sable five escallops argent on a chief of the second a lion passant argentBarron of Buckland Barron: Argent, a chevron between three men's hearts sableBarnhous of Kingston: Gules, two wings conjoined in lure argentBawcomb of Bawcombe: Argent, three bats displayed sableBarkley or Bartlet of ... : Sable, a fess ermine between three escallops argentBalun of ... : Barry dancetty of six argent and gulesBaunton of Combaunton (Combe Baunton): Gules, a bend between three escallops or one in chief two in baseBale of ... : Argent, two bars gules between three mullets sableBeandyn of ... : Azure, on a bend or three torteauxBeaudyn: ... , a chevron between three martletsBeaumont of Yolston (Youlston): Barry of six vairy and gulesBeaumont of Sebrescot: Barry of six vairy and gules a bezant on the second barBeauchamp of Ryme: Vairy, a label of three points gulesBeaupell(Beauple) of Knoweston (Knowstone): Gules, a bend vairy cotised orBeaupell(Beauple) of Knoweston (Knowstone) (sic, Richard Beaple Mayor of Barnstaple): Gules, a bend vairy between six escallops argentBellew of Ashe Rogus (Ash, Braunton): Sable fretty or
