This coat of arms is a curious one that has been attributed to some early American families, but according to the College of Arms in London, the authority for English Arms, it was first granted in 1838 to the Rev. Samuel Wells, Rector of Portlemouth in Devon and magistrate for that county. He was the fourth son of the late Rev. Nathaniel Wells, Rector of East Allington in Devon. The right to this Coat of Arms was granted to all the direct male descendants of the Rev. Nathaniel Wells.

The heraldic description of this coat of arms is: "Or a lion rampant double-queued sable, on a chief gules two annulets interlaced or." The Crest is described as: Out of an embattlement proper a demi-lion double-queued sable holding between the paws two annulets interlaced or. In contemporary terms, this means on a field of gold, a lion attacking, double tailed black, on the red upper third of the field two gold rings interlaced. The crest contains a black half lion with double tails holding between the paws two interlaced gold rings and rising out of a stonework crown in it's natural colors.

The Grant of the Arms in 1838 stated that the family had used Arms "for several generations", but such Arms were not registered for them, so the new Grant was necessary.

The Genealogical information on the family is as follows: 1. Samuel Wells of the City of Oxford. Children of Samuel Wells included:

1. Samuel Wells of All Souls College, Oxford. Died unmarried. Buried 10 Oct 1730 at Marlborough, Devon.
2. Nathaniel Wells, Clerk of Oriel College, Oxford. Matriculated 18 March 1739/40. Rector of East Allington, Devon. Died 28 September 1762, buried 4 October 1762 at East Allington. Married 15 December 1745 at Dodbrook, Devon: Catharine Bury (b: 1727) eldest daughter of Thomas Bury of Exeter, Devon. Died 1770 at age 43, buried 17 July 1770 at East Allington.

1. Edmund Wells
2. Alice Wells
3. Catharine Wells
4. Elizabeth Wells
5. Dorothy Wells
6. Mary Wells
7. Elizabeth Fortescue Wells
8. William Wells
9. Nathaniel Wells
10. Samuel Wells
11. Thomas Wells

Edmund Wells b: 25 August 1752, baptised 10 October 1752 at East Allington. Inherited in 1768 Fallapit, the manor of East Allington, Preston Croft and other estates for the Fortescues of Fallapit, county Devon from his great aunt Elizabeth Fortescue. Buried on 10 Oct 1779 at East Allington.

Edmund married 23 November 1770 at East Allington, Mary Anne Blundell, daughter of Peter Blundell of Collipriest, county Devon. She married secondly, Edward Calvert of Albury Hill, county Hertforshire and was deceased in 1838. There were children of this marriage.

1. William Wells, b: 19 May 1756, bapt. 2 July 1756 at East Allington. D: 29 August 1839, buried 14 September 1839 at East Allington. Clerk, Rector of East Allington. Married, 29 June 1781 at West Alvington, county Devon: Elizabeth Pearse, daughter of John Pearse of Easton, county Devon. She died 1 September 1836, buried 5 September 1836 at East Allington.

   The children of William Wells and Elizabeth Pearse were:

   1. William Bury Wells
   2. Elizabeth Fortescue Wells
   3. Caroline Josepha Wells

2. Nathaniel Wells (1757 - 1806). Clerk.
3. Samuel Wells, b: 2 February 1759, bapt. 23 May 1751 at East Allington, Devon; died 26 February 1839, buried 5 March 1839 at East Allington, Devon. Rector of Portlemouth, county Devon. Samuel was also a Magistrate for Devon and graduated from Oxford (Wadham College) 23 Feb 1781. He married Elizabeth Lake (b 16 October 1763 South Pole, County Devon, baptized there 22 November 1763 - died 21 April 1845 and buried 26 April 1845 at East Allington) on 3 January 1785 at South Pole, Devon. Elizabeth was the daughter of Robert Lake and Grace Cornish.

   Samuel and Elizabeth had 4 children:

   1. Samuel Wells (3 Jun 1786-17 July 1865)
   2. Robert Lake Wells (3 Apr 1788-13 Dec. 1789)
   3. Fortescue Wells
   4. Rev. Thomas Bury Wells

4. Thomas Wells, b: 13 October 1761, bapt. 16 December 1761 at East Allington, Devon. Died at county Cork, Ireland, buried 11 July 1784 at St. Nicholas parish there. Officer in the 4th Regiment.

Of the children of William Wells and Elisabeth Pearse, the only son was William Bury Wells (b: 15 April 1782, d: 23 November 1834). He was buried at St. Anne, Limehouse, County Middlesex. William married Jane Pearse (b: 25 Aug 1779, was deceased in 1838) on 24 April 1811 at South Moulton.

Their children were:

1. William Wells (b: 17 July 1815)
2. James Wells (28 April 1817 - 27 Feb 1823)
3. Fortescue Wells (b: 8 August 1819)
4. Jane Wells (12 July 1812 - 16 May 1813)
5. Elizabeth Wells (27 November 1813 - 5 December 1813)

Of the children of Samuel Wells and Elizabeth Lake:

Fortescue Wells, Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (20 September 1790 - 29 September 1861) married Ann Hepworth (13 July 1824 - 23 April 1870) of Pontefract, county York and had two daughters:

1. Fanny Anne Wells (30 November 1826 - 10 May 1827)
2. Elizabeth Fortescue Mary Wells (b: 08 October 1830)

Rev. Thomas Bury Wells (17 January 1795 - 23 May 1879) married Catharine Frances Stockdale (22 January 1816 - still living in 1838) on 23 March 1841. Thomas Bury Wells served in the Royal Navy and was at the Battle of Algiers.

Their children were:

1. Henry Bury Wells (21 January 1842 - 28 January 1842)
2. Lionel Bury Wells (b: 12 February 1843)
3. Katharine Alice Wells (23 Oct 1844 - )
4. Lewis Fortescue Wells (23 June 1846 - 26 Nov 1873) buried at sea.
5. Edward Samuel Wells (18 March 1848 - 27 November 1859)
6. Henry Lake Wells (8 Mar 1850 - )
7. Elizabeth Ellen Wells (24 Feb 1852 - still living 1881)
8. Caroline Emily Wells (20 April 1854 - still living 1881)
9. Thomas Bury Wells (born October 1857)
10. Catharine Frances Wells (13 September 1860 -2 January 1865)

Of these, Lionel Bury Wells married Mary Eliza Kirkman of Croft cum Southwork, County Lancaster (21 April 1847 -) 11 October 1871 at Croft.

Their children were:

1. Lionel Fortescue Wells (20 Oct 1877 -)
2. Katharine Elmina Wells (21 June 1874 -)
3. Mary Dorothea Wells (12 October 1875 -)
4. Elizabeth Rose Wells (19 Nov. 1878 -)
5. Eleanor Kirkman Wells (21 April 1880 - )

The above information is from the College of Arms records. There is little likelihood that any American family can claim descent from this specific family.

However, what is "curious" is the statement in the grant papers that the family had used arms for "generations". On page 81 of the Armorial Addenda of the American Armoury and Blue Book edited and published by John Matthews, London England 1906, this same coat of arms is shown as belonging to the Governor Thomas Wells (1598 - 1660) 4th governor of Connecticut. There is no authority cited though.

In addition, his descendants, the current Wells Family Association, Inc. based in Wethersfield has been using another coat of arms depicted on the same page which we will discuss in a later issue.

In the book The Wells Family printed by the American Genealogical Research Institute in 1973 (a work completely without authority) it is stated that this coat of arms was attributed to Francis Wells of Cambridge, Massachusetts "who was recorded among the gentlemen of coat armor in that colony in 1736". This work does not cite authority nor source so we have no idea where they came up with this claim. It also references the right by Governor Thomas Welles no doubt from the Matthews work.

If any of our readers knows of such a 1736 Massachusetts record, we would be delighted to see a copy of any Wells entries. In fact, we would like to see any information any of our readers knows about concerning early American "gentlemen of coat armor". Is there any evidence (seals on documents, original seals, coats of armor, book plates, etc.) or other early evidence of such? If you have any of this information please contact the Association.

Does anyone know of the existence in the US or Canada of an old tankard on which is emblazoned a Wells coat of arms? One is supposed to have existed and to have been passed to the grandson of Governor Thomas Welles and has never been heard of again.