Bluet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Bluet is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a person with blue eyes, or who often wore blue clothing. The name stems from the Old French root bleuet which means "a blue woollen cloth." 1 The family claimed Briqueville-la-Blouette, in Normandy as their point of origin. This name was still represented there as "Blouet de Cahagnolles," belonging to the Bailiwick of Caen, sat in the great Assembly of the Norman nobles in 1789. 2

Early Origins of the Bluet family

The surname Bluet was first found in Hampshire where Richard Blouet is on the Dives Roll; and Ralph Bloiet was an undertenant in the Domesday Book of 1086. He is mentioned in the Monasticon Anglicanum as a benefactor to Gloucester Abbey. 2

Robert Bloet (Bloett) (died 1123), was an early English prelate. He was Bishop of Lincoln 1093-1123 and Lord Chancellor of England (1092-1093.) He claimed descent from a Norman noble family that held Ivry in Normandy. He accompanied William the Conqueror's son, William Rufus to England from Normandy.

He was brother of Hugh, Bishop of Bayeux. "When the king lay on his death-bed at Rouen, he sent Bloet to England with a letter praying Archbishop Lanfranc to crown William Rufus. Bloet crossed the Channel in company with Rufus himself, and became the new king's chancellor. After the death of Remigius in 1092, the see of Lincoln was kept vacant for a year. Rufus, however, repented of his evil ways while he lay sick at Gloucester in the spring of 1093, and at the same time that he made Anselm archbishop he gave the bishopric of Lincoln to Robert Bloet." 3

The son or grandson of this fabled Earl, Sir Roland Bluet, became Lord of Raglan in right of his wife Lucretia, and his posterity held the castle for several generations. William Bluett was summoned with other barons to march against the Welsh in 1256. 2

From these very early entry of the family, the family dispersed as seen by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listing: John Bleuit, Gloucestershire; Robert Bluet, Lincolnshire; and Walter Bluet, London. 1

"The family of Bluet is said by Camden to have come from Brittany. The name is spelt in the Battel Roll Bluet, and Bluat, and elsewhere Bloet." 4

Early History of the Bluet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bluet research. Another 341 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1566, 1644, 1656, 1782, 1805 and 1853 are included under the topic Early Bluet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bluet Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Blewett, Blewitt, Bluet, Bluat, Bloet, Blouet, Blewit, Blewet and many more.

Early Notables of the Bluet family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Ralph Bloet who was seized of the manor of Daglingworth, temp. Henry II. in Leicestershire. His son named Morgan, was elected Bishop of Durham, but was denied a dispensation by the Pope, as the canons require in case of bastardy, because he persisted to own himself the King's son, and not...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bluet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bluet family to Ireland

Some of the Bluet family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bluet family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Bluet or a variant listed above: Daniel Bleut who settled in Virginia in 1730 with his wife and two children; John and Margery Blewet settled in Virginia in 1622; William Blewett settled in Barbados in 1670.

The Bluet Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In Deo omnia
Motto Translation: In God are all things.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.