[similar arms appear in Kings' work atributed to Litlar (Littler - Ar, a chev. sa. betw. three squirrels sejant gu.) but I have yet to find a blood connection]

Despite having Arms recorded in The Vale Royal of England, Goostrey  appears to have avoided or ignored the Herald’s Visitations of 1663/4 completely. At the visitation of Cheshire, a pedigree of six generations was recorded using these Arms. It is headed by Philip Kinsey father of Edward Kinsey of Blackden, co: Cheshire. It descends to the children of John Kinsey, who was aged 52 in 1663, and of Anne his wife, daughter of George Birch of Birch, co: Lancashire. The Arms of Kinsey are given as Argent a Chevron between three squirrels sejant erect Gules. No mention is made here of Goostrey or variants. Strangely, of the 520 Cheshire gentlemen recorded by King in his book, the only names associated with these arms are that of Goostrey and Blackenden (Blackden).

Printed Sources
An authoritative source for early heraldic usage is the Dictionary of British Arms: Medieval Ordinary (Woodcock, Grant and Graham 1996). There is no mention of Goostrey or variants in this works but the following entry can be found: The Arms  Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels Gules is ascribed to Kinsey by Creswick’s Roll of circa 1510.

Burke’s General Armoury (1884) ascribes the following to Goosetrey or Goosetree of co: Bucks:
Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels sejant Gules. The Crest being On a Wreath of the Colours A Stags head erased Or.

It ascribes the Arms of Eaton (Blackden co: Chester)as being: Quarterly, Argent and Gules a cross patonce counterchanged in the first quarter a mullet of the second. Later Arms (after their marriage with the GOOSETREYS) -  Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels sejant Gules.

The Arms of Kinsey are recorded in Burke’s as: Kinsey (Blackden Hall co: Chester; allowed at Visit co. Chester)  Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels sejant Gules.

And Burke’s records the Arms of Twemlow as: Twemlow co: Chester : Ancient Arms - Argent a Chevron Or between three Squirrels sejant Gules, Modern Arms: Az. two bars eng. or, charged with three boars heads, two and one, erect couped sa. Crest - on the stump of a tree erect a parrot all ppr.

Fairburn’s Book of Crests (1906) agrees that the crest of Goostrey of Buckinghamshire is On a Wreath of the Colours A Stags head erased Or.

Authority Verses Use
It is widely accepted that Burke’s and Fairburn’s have no authority and are useful largely as a guide to usage rather than right. It must also be accepted that the work of Daniel King  The Vale Royal of England is likewise more a record of contemporary usage than of right. I must presume therefore  that although there is no authority, for a long period of time a family bearing the name of Goostrey has used Arms. Let us therefore look at some of the genealogy to try to establish if such an armigerous family existed before the records of the College of Arms and, if it did, how the Arms in question come to be recorded as being used by so many different families.

From the genealogist and historian Ormorod (8), we learn that Goostrey was known as Gostrel in the Doomsday Book, probably comprising the two manors of Bernulfshawe and Gostre, property of the founder of the Barony of Monalt – Hugo de Mara also known as Hugh Fitznorman. He gave his share of “Gostrey” along with Lawton to the Abbey of St Werburgh. Ormorod’s translation of the Doomsday entry records: “The families of Croxton, Twemlowe, Gostre, Bonetable, Bernulschaw, and Aston passed the manor and lands of Barnshaw and Goostrey to the Abbey of St Werburgh”. Particulars of the grants are in the charter of the Abbey (9).

A charter was granted to the convent by Michel de Gostre by which the abbey was empowered to embank a lake for the use of the mill, and also to serve them as a vivary or fish pond. [There is no date for this, but it is linked to another reference given a date of 1249-65].

Ormorod suggests that a mansion house must have existed at an early period in Goostrey and that Goostry gave name to a family, originally most probably seized of the manor. The following brief and interesting pedigree (10) shows the descent of their estate here from about the reign Edward III [1327-1377] to the temp.  Henry VII [1485-1509] and connects them with the Kinsey of Blackden of whom little is known.

Michel de Gostre was grandfather of Thomas de Gostre  to whose name is appended a curious note. He married a daughter of  … Hamond of Bancroft ‘against his fader’s will and his own worshippe, and through evil councell he did such things for quiche he was done to death for yt was shame and greefe to his fader and his frendes’ (10)

 

1. Michel de Gostre [third son of Lidulph de Twemlow to whom his father gave the half of Goostrey]
1.1 His son Thomas married Alianore, daughter of William Mainwaringe

They had three children: (11)
1.1.1. Thomas, married Hamond of Bancroft (temp Richard II [1377-1399]), had four daughters [not named]
William, married Alice daughter of Richard Hadley.
Roger [for whom no marriage or descendants are shown]

William had 3 children:
1.1.2.1 Thomlyn (Thomas), married the daughter [no first name given] of Jenken Rowley and had one daughter, Anne (Agnes) who married William Vernon and had issue which died s.p. (which William was living 7 Hen. 5 a widower) .William “held Goostrey in right of his wife”.
1.1.2.2 Wilkin or William, married [not given], had land in Blackden.
Jenken (John), who had land in Blackden of gift of father.

1.1.2.2 Wilkin had two children:
1.1.2.2.1Agnes, wife of Robert Kinsey (from whom Kinsey of Blackden), who had a son William
Robertson Kinsey, coheir with his aunt to the Gostre Estate (1498).
1.1.2.2.2Alice, coheir to Anne Vernon, who married firstly Thomas de Eaton (from whom Eaton of Blackden) and secondly  Jack de Snelsone in or about 1498.

A survey of Goostrey Church taken in 1569 (12) notices the arms of Kinsey, and a tablet  “Anne, wife of John Kinsey of Blackden died 18 Feb 1665”.

Ormorod then goes on:
There is also reference to the family of Barnshaw – Roger de Berneshagh, a commissioner. The rarity of this name may in some measure be accounted for by supposing the family borne the alias of Gostre, or of Grene. The Grenes presumably the ancestors of the Grenes of Congleton.

There is information under the township of Croxton. There is a reference to Lidulph de Croxton, or Tremlowe, who one genealogist had made the son of Wulfric, but Ormorod thinks it more likely he was the grandson. He also goes by the names of Walthew, Orme, and William.
Ormorod goes on:

If however it can be proved that Lidulph de Croxton and Tremlowe were two successive proprietors, and not one generation as the genealogists have uniformly made them, Wulfric, the grandfather of the first, will be thrown back to the Conquest or to the time of the Confessor, and there will then be no difficulty in point of time in crediting the interpolation  before mentioned which, after calling the second generation Walthew, makes Wulfric the grandfather of  “Margeria filia Walthei, filia Wulfrici”, which Margeria  undoubtedly brought Marton in marriage to the grandson of the Norman Baron of Kinderton. (13)

Ormorod continues:

 This last Lidulp, sheriff of Cheshire in the reigns of Richard I [1189- 99] and John [1199-1216], the surviving temp. Henry III [1216-1272] lord of Tremlowe, Croxton, Goostrey, Cranage and half of Winnington, had a second brother, Randle, to whom he gave the fourth of Cranage, and from whom the families of Granage, Ermitage, Tremlowe and Le Brun descended.
Lidulph had issue Richard, Robert and Michael. From the last two sons named descended severally the families of Winnington and Goostrey.
Richard settled his lands in Gorestree on his son Michael.

Richard de Croxton, son and heir of Lidulph, had a grant from his father of all his lands in Cheshire, except a moiety of his land in Gorestree settled on his son Michael.

There is a family tree (14): The Croxton and Mainwaring of Croxton, with Arms of Croxton – sable, a lion rampant Argent, debruised by a bend compare Or and Gules. The tree reads as follows:

Wulfric, lord of Croxton under Ornus de Tuchett, living in the time of  Edward the Confessor and
William I

Two sons are shown:
1. William and sometimes called Orme (called Wultheus filius Wulfrici in an interpolation in Booth’s pedigree, ibid p156, b, which interpolation is probably correct. Ormus filius Wulfrie (possibly).

Willam had a son and a daughter:
1.1 Ledulf de Crocstun, witness to a deed of William Fitz-Nigell, temp Henry I (15)
Margery filia Walthei filii Wulfrici, wife of Gilbert Venables, Baron of  Kinderton.

Ledulph is shown with two sons and a daughter:
Lidulph de Tremlow (and de Croxton), Lord of Tremlow, Croxton, Cranage, half of Winnington,
Goosetrey. Sheriff of Cheshire temp Richard I and John and living temp Henry III. Confounded in the Cheshire pedigrees with the preceding Ledolf of  whom he was a son or grandson.
Randle, ancestor of Cranach of Cranach
Ellen

1.1.1 Lidulph is shown to have three sons:

Richard, son an heir.
Robert, lord of a moiety of Winnington, married (1)Margery, daughter of Robert de Wynynton, from whom Winnington of Winnington; (2)Mathilda, daughter of Richard de Wilbraham (from whom Leftwich of Leftwich).
Michael, lord of a moiety of Goosetrey (from whom Goosetrey of Goosetrey).
There is a separate reference, not part of the family tree, to Gilbert, who had issue Warin de Clyve (16).

There is a later reference:
Cicely, daughter of William de Goostree married 1339 Roger de Swetenham. Said to have will dated 1366, and to be living in 1382.

Relationship of Arms
From the information gathered by Ormorod and the contemporary records of King and Burke we can begin to see the relationships between those who use the Arms. It is my view that the Arms were first used by early Goostreys, possibly even Michael De Gostre, and were seen as being important, feudal and territorial. This could explain why upon the marriage of Alice De Gostre, daughter and co-heir of William, Thomas de Eaton (according to Burke) seems to have abandoned earlier Arms in favour of those of Goostrey. Strictly speaking, if Alice was an heraldic heiress, the Arms should have been quartered with those of Eaton but if they were seen as being of territorial importance they may have been used in preference. Similarly, we know that the descendants of Robert Kinsey the husband of Agnes, the other co-heir of William, used the same Arms. A second indication of the status of the Goostrey inheritance is that of the territorial designation “of Blackden” which the families of both Eaton and Kinsey began to use after their marriages to Goostrey heiresses. History appears to be silent as to the fecundity of Roger de Gostre (Living 1313) and his nephew John who had lands in Blackden of the gift of his father. The family tree seems to indicate that the females were heirs and co-heirs so it is assumed that Roger and John died without offspring. There is a further strong indication that the Arms originate from the family of Goostrey, pre-dating their adoption or inheritance by the Kinseys who today are seen to hold them with the authority of the College of Arms, that of the similarity with the “Ancient” Arms of Twemelow, the only difference being the colour of the chevron. Michael de Gostre you will remember is the third son of Lidulph de Twemlow.

One explanation as to why King recorded the Arms as those of Goostrey when they were in fact borne by Kinsey (as recorded but a few years later by the Heralds) could be that they were well recognised locally as being the important “territorial” and feudal Arms of Goostrey, so much so that no matter who bore them, they were known as Goostrey. The Heralds of course were more thorough in their examination of who actually used them and correctly recorded them as the Arms of Kinsey. It is my view that the Kinsey’s of Blackden held the Arms in right of their Goostrey ancestors.

All of the above is based upon the Arms passing through heraldic heiresses which relies on an assumption that the Goostrey male line died out in the 14th or 15th century. How then can we explain the continued appearance of the Arms of Goostrey or Goosetree co: Bucks as recorded by Burke ?

There is reference to a Thomas Goostrey of Westminster gent. in Buckinghamshire at around 1749/50 (17). Was this the gentleman using the Arms of Goostrey as recorded by Burke ?  I have been unable to find out, but there can be little doubt that someone named Goostrey must have continued to use the Arms in Buckinghamshire if we are to believe that the General Armoury was a contemporary record (especially as by then the Arms had gained a crest). If however we maintain our belief that the original male line died out and the Arms descended through female co-heirs, then whoever was using the Arms in more recent times was perhaps someone who had a fondness of history and “adopted” and continued to use those Arms which were historically associated with the surname. I have found no proof that a male line of the descendants of Michael De Gostre, third son of Liddulph de Twemlow, continued and the fact that all the lands originally associated with the name devolved through female co-heirs strongly indicates that the true Goostrey of Goostrey line died out long ago.

Conclusion
We know that extensive searches in the records and collections of the College of Arms have revealed no reference to the surname of Goostrey, or its variants. It would seem that from the Tudor period to the present day, no family with the surname, Goostrey, Gostre or De Gostre has been recorded as being entitled to bear Arms. I have attempted to show that such an armigerous family did in fact exist before the records of the College of Arms, and that their estates and Arms were of such importance that they passed from Goostrey to Kinsey. A descent of Arms which, although on the face of it would be a breach of the law of Arms as we know it today, in fact pre-dates such conventions. There seems little doubt that these Arms have long been associated with the name of Goostrey.

M.S.J. Goldstraw
2002

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Notes and References
1.  Daniel King the author of The Vale Royal of England was born in Chester and in 1630 was
 apprenticed as heraldic painter to Randle Holmes sometime deputy to a King of Arms.
 Thanks to the generosity of his patron Peter Venables, King was able to include the armorial
 bearings of some 520 Cheshire Gentlemen in his Vale Royal of England.

2. Burke’s General Armory (1884) ascribes the following to Goosetrey or Goosetree of co:
 Bucks: Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels sejant Gules. The Crest being On a
 Wreath of the Colours A Stags head erased Or.

3. Fairburn’s Book of Crests (1906) agrees that the crest of Goostrey of Buckinghamshire is On
 a Wreath of the Colours A Stags head erased Or.

4. Mr. Hunt, Windsor Herald searched the following on my behalf: The Heralds’ Visitations,
 Other recorded pedigrees, Founder’s Kin, Benefactors’ Pedigrees, Bath Books, Funeral
 Certificates, Grants of Arms, Royal Licences, Irish Records, College Collections, Scottish
 Records and Printed Works.

5. The Arms of Kinsey are recorded in Burke’s as: Kinsey (Blackden Hall co: Chester; allowed
 at Visit co. Chester)  Argent a Chevron between three Squirrels sejant Gules.

6. Burke’s ascribes the Arms of Eaton (Blackden co: Chester)as being: Quarterly, Argent and
 Gules a cross patonce counterchanged in the first quarter a mullet of the second. Later Arms
 (after their marriage with the GOOSETREYS) -  Argent a Chevron between three
 Squirrels sejant Gules.

7. Burke’s records the Arms of Twemlow as: Twemlow co: Chester : Ancient Arms -
 Argent a Chevron Or between three Squirrels sejant Gules, Modern Arms: Az. two bars
 eng. or, charged with three boars heads, two and one, erect couped sa. Crest - on the stump of
 a tree erect a parrot all ppr.

8. Ormorod’s “The History of the County Palatine and City of Cheshire, evidence in public
 offices, the Harleian and Cottonian MSS, Parochial Register, and various private collections”
 (date 1882)

9. Harl MSS 1965.35 and 35(b)

10. Harl.MSS.2059.245 and 2011.94b

11.  [Note that some of these names appear in the IGI: Thomas Goostrey and Alinora (formerly
 Manwaring) had a son Thomas born about 1307; William born about 1310; Roger about
 1313 (all recorded at Sandbach)]

12. Harl MSS 2151.66

13.  [A footnote says that the male ancestor of the Croxtons was undoubtedly one of the “five
 brethren” who came in at the Conquest. These can be assumed to be brothers of the first
 Baron of Halton. There is then a reference to Ledolf de Crocstun, sheriff to the end of the
 reign of King John, who witnesses the assignment of the 2nd Baron of Halton. Ormorod
 concludes that there must have been two or three Lidulfs successively in the period previously
 thought to have been one.]

14. Harl MSS 2119.143

15. There is a reference to “see Val 1 page 690” ?

16. Ormorod says: About the time of King John and Henry III, Warin de Clive said to be a
 younger son of Lidulph de Tremlow, assumed his local appellation from the township. From
 him the noble and distinguished family of Clive traces its origin.

17. Helmdon History Resources (Astwell with Falcutt Records 1601 - 1800 )
   821 22 Jan. 1749/50
 Attested copy of lease for a year from Laurence Earl Ferrers to Thomas Goostrey of
 Westminster, gent., in consideration of 5s, of the manors of Astwell and Falcutt with all
 messuages, lands, etc., in Astwell, Falcutt, Wappenham and Syresham.

 822 23 Jan. 1749/50
 Attested copy of a deed to lead the uses of a recovery whereby Laurence Earl Ferrers grants to
 Thomas Goostrey of Westminster, gent., the manors of Astwell and Falcutt, with all lands,
 messuages, etc., to the intent that they may be recovered to Richard Balshaw of Westminster
 to the use of the said Earl.

 823 12 Feb. 1749/50
 Attested copy of an exemplification of a common recovery by which the manors of Astwell
 and Falcutt with 30 messuages, 10 tofts, 2 mills, 60 gardens, 850 acres of land, 200 acres of
 meadow, 850 acres of pasture, 200 acres of wood and 100 acres of heath, and common of
 pasture in Astwell, Falcutt, Wappenham and Syresham were conveyed from Thomas
 Goostrey to Richard Balshaw.
 

My thanks are due to Mr. W.G. Hunt, Windsor Herald, for his extensive searches of the College of Arms archives on my behalf and Joan Bell for allowing me to use her extracts from Ormorod’s works.
When quoting the contents of documents, contemporary spellings have been used.