Clement Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Surname Name Meaning & Origin
This is a English, Dutch, and French baptismal surname meaning “the son of Clement” or “the son of Clemence”, which comes from the Latin nickname Clem, which is a diminutive (shortened version) of Clemet or Clemmit, which was common to both sexes. It was a rate font-name in the 1800s.  The name was popularized in Medieval Europe due to the fact that it was born by an early Christian Saint that was a disciple of St. Paul: St. Clement of Rome, also known as Pope Clement I (35-99 AD). It was later than name of 14 popes. In England, the frequency of the name decreased after the Protestant Reformation, though it was revived in the 1800s.

Clement was first documented in the city of Breknock in the old Welsh petty Kingdom of Powys, which is on the border with England. The last name was brought into England during the Norman Conquest, by one bearer who arrived with a minor Norman lord Bernard de Neufmarche (1050-1125 AD), which is Anglicised as Newmarch or Newmarket. Together, they fought in Brecon, a Welsh town, and conquered the Lordship of Caron. For his service, Clement was granted bast lands at Llangorse Lake and Cathedine. Documentation existing showing these lands were given to Geoffrey Clement at Westminter by King Edward I of England in 1290 AD.

Surname Etymology & Spelling
The name comes from the Latin word clementia, meaning mercy. Another author states it derives from the latin word Clemens, meaning mild, meek, or gentle. Spelling variants include Clementson, Clemans, Celmens, Clemitson, Clemence, Clements, Clemmans, Clemson, Clemenson, Clemmits, and Clemmison. Foreign equivalents include Clemo (French) and Clemens (German).

Early Bearers of the Surname
The name was first recorded as a personal name (first name): the earliest examples being a Clemens in 1153 AD in the Records of St. Benets Abbey, Norfolk, and Clemens filius Clementis, who was recorded in 1212 AD in the Curia Regis rolls for Essex. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 AD, a census of Wales and England, known in Latin as Rotuli Hundredorum, includes Eustace filius Clement of county Oxford, Hugh Clement of county Cambridgeshire, Richard Celmence in count Huntingdonshire, Matthew Clemens in county Oxfordshire, Peter filius Clem in county Salop, and Clemens Janitor in count Norfolk. The Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379 AD includes Johannes Clement, and Petrus Clementon. There was a Roger Clement recorded in 1468 AD in the Testamenta Eboracensia, as well as a Roger Clempson recorded in the Calendar of the Proceeding in Chancery during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Early American and New World Settlers
The family held seat in Kent, England at the time of the Oliver Cromwell (Lord Protector), but were later banished when King Charles II (reign 1660-1685) ascended to the throne. They fled to the Netherlands, and later, Peter Clemens sailed to the New World and settled in New Amsterdam, becoming the patriarch of the family there.

Early settlers bearing this surname include 1) Abraham Clements (or Clemens) of Newbury, married Hannah Grove in 1683 and had eight children, one of whom was named Edmund, born in 1684, 2) Augustine (or Austin) Clement, from Dorchester, came from Southhampton, Engand aboard a ship named the James, from the port of London in April of 1635, and with his wife Elizabeth, had Samuel, John, and Elizabeth. Ezechell Clements left the port of London in January 1634 to emigrate to St. Christopher, Barbados. Thomas Clements came to Virginia aboard the Abraham in 1635 from the port of London. Jereme Clement and Elizabeth Clement were recorded as living in James Cittye, Virginia in February of 1623. A one William Clements was recorded in 1623 in “A list of the names of the Dead in Virginia”. Jeremy Clement was listed in the Muster of Captain Ralph Hamor in colonial Virginia. Other early settlers include Lucrece Clement (New York, 1731), Mich Clement (Pennsylvania 1738), and David Clement (New York 1803). Documented marriages involving this surname include Jacob James (born 1846) to Laura Clements in Sunbury, PA and had two children: Element and Robert. Still other documented people bearing this name include William Clements (Granville, North Carolina, 1765) and Rebecca Elements (Augusta, Virginia in 1746).

Genealogy and Ancestry
The famous genealogist Bernard Burke’s book “The Landed Gentry” discusses two branches of this family: Clements of Ashield and Clements of Rathkenny. Regarding the first family, the discussion begins with Henry Theophilius Clements of Ashfield Lodge in county Cavan, who was a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Leitrim Military and High Sheriff of the county in Cavan in 1849, born in 1820. He married Gertrude Caroline Lucy, the daughter of Reverend David F. Markham, and had with her four children: Henry John Beresford (1869), Alfred William (1871), Robert Markham (1876), and Gertrude Mary Catharine. Burke traces the lineage and ancestry back to Henry Theophilus Clements, the Lieutenant Colonel in the 69^th regiment in county Leitrim, the son of Nathaniel Clements and the brother of Robert, the first Earl of Leitrim, who married Mary Webb in 1770 and had the following children with her: Harriett (William Moore Hodder) and Maria (who married Dean Keatinge). His second wife was Catherine Beresford (married in 1778) and had the following children with her: Henry John (1781-1843), John Marcus (1789), Anna Barbara (1779), and Selina (1780). He died in 1795 and was succeeded by his son, Henry John Clements, Colonel in the Leitrim Militia, who married Louisa Stewart and had the following children with her: Henry Theophilus, Elizabeth Henrietta Catherine, Selina, Louisa, Mary Isabella, and Catherine.

The second branch begins with a discussion of Theophilus Henry Clements, Esq. of Rathkenny, in county Cavan, born 1830, who was High Sheriff in 1857, and in 1861 married Emily Caroline, the daughter of William Magill, and had one child with her: Theophilus Edward (1864). His second wife was Agnes Hane, the daughter of James Stirling of Ballawley Park in county Dublin, and had the following issue with her: Arthur Upton (1876) and Alice May Gwendoline. Burke traces the lineage of this line back to Robert Clements, the M.P. for Carrickfergus in 1692, who posses large lands in Cavan and Down. He was appointed Deputy Vice-Treasurer in Ireland in 1689. He marries Miss Sandford of the Castlerea family, and had the following children with her: Theophilus, Robert, and Nathaniel. The second son Roert died in 1723 leaving a son named Theophilius Clements, whose daughter and heiress, Elizabeth Anne, married Reverend Edward Lucus, and together they had a child named Theophilus Edward Lucs. He assumed the name and arms of Clements per the will of his maternal grandfather. In 1829, he married Elizabeth Beatrice, the daughter of Reverend Shuckburgh Whitney Upton and had issue with her: Theophilus Henry (the first person mentioned above), Henry Upton, Charles John Fulk, Isabella Margaret, and Oliver Beatrice.

Mottoes
The family motto is patriis virtutibus, meaning “by hereditary virtues”.

Notables
Famous people who bore the last name include: 1) Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD), a theologian who is considered the father of the Christian church, 2) Clement of Ireland (750-818) who was a Catholic saint from Ireland, 3) Franz Clement (1780-1842) who was an Austrian composer and friend of Beethoven, and 4) Jacques Clement (1567-1589), a Frenchmen who assassinated King Henry III of England.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) Ratisbonne – Coupé au 1 d’argent à une tige de tilleul feuillée de trois pièces de sinople au 2 de gueules à trois écussons d’argent English: Per fess: 1st argent with a stem from a lime tree leaved of three pieces vert; 2nd gules three escucheons argent.
2) Allemagne – Coupé au 1 recoupé a d’argent au griffon passant de gueules tenant une flèche d’or en pal sommée d’une étoile du même b d’azur à trois étoiles d’or au 2 d’or à deux chicots de sable passés en sautoir et une fasce bandée d’azur et d’argent brochant sur les chicots Casque couronné Cimier le griffon issant Lambrequin à dextre d’argent et de gueules à senestre d’or et d’azur English: Per fess: 1st per fesse: a) argent a griffin passant gules, holding an arrow or palewise, surmounted by an etoile of the same; b) azure with three etoiles or; 2nd or with two ragged staffs sable, placed saltirewise, and a fess bendy azure and argent covering over the ragged staffs; Crowned with a helmet – Crest: the griffin issuant; Mantling: to the dexter argent and gules, to the sinister or and azure.
3) Lorraine – (An., 19 juin 1750) – D’or à la fasce de gueules ch de trois colombes d’argent English: Or a fess gules, charged with three doves argent.
4) Lorraine – (An., 26 juillet 1554) – D’azur à trois têtes de licorne d’hermine accornées d’or English: Azure three heads of an unicorn ermine, horned or.
5) Lorraine – (An., 24 nov. 1559) – D’azur à une étoile d’or acc en chef de deux roses d’argent et en pointe d’un croissant d’or surmonté d’un E renversé du même English: Azure with an estoile or, accompanied by in chief of two roses argent, and in base of a crescent or, surmounted by an E reversed of the same.
6) Lorraine – (An., 24 nov. 1545) – D’azur à trois roses d’argent rangées en fasce acc en chef d’un lambel d’or et en pointe d’un croissant surmonté d’une étoile le tout aussi d’or English: Azure three roses argent, arranged in fess, accompanied in chief by a label or and in base by a crescent surmounted by an etoile all also or.
7) Lorraine – (An., 30 août 1658) – D’argent à une roue de gueules au chef d’azur ch de trois alérions d’or Cimier la roue entre un vol d’or English: Argent with a wheel gules, a chief azure charged with three eaglets [without beaks or legs] or; Crest: the wheel between a pair of wings or.
8) Clément – Sens – (Arm. gén. de 1696) Jean C. officier de Mlle d’Orléans – D’azur à un lambel d’or posé en fasce acc de trois molettes d’argent English: Azure with a label or, placed in fess, accompanied by three mullets argent.
9) Paris – (Sceau de Martin L. sergent au Chatelet en 1478) – Une fasce ondée acc en chef de deux annelets et en pointe d’un arbre terrassé English: A fess undy, accompanied by in chief of two annulets, and in base of a tree on a mount. (missing tinctures)

10) Lorraine – (An., 9 avril 1618) – D’azur à trois têtes de léopard de gueules English: Azure three leopard’s faces gules.
11) Lorraine – (An., 1594) – D’azur à trois têtes de léopard d’or arrachées de gueules English: Azure three leopard’s heads or, erased gules.
12) France – (Baron de l’Empire) – Écartelé au 1 d’azur à un soleil d’or en chef et deux étoiles du même en pointe aux 2 et 3 de gueules à une cuirasse d’argent frangée et liserée d’or traversée d’une épée d’argent en barre au 4 d’azur à un Pégase galopant et contourné d’argent English: Quarterly: 1st azure with a sun or in chief, and two etoiles of the same in base; 2nd and 3rd gules with a breastplate argent, fringed and bordered or, crossed by a sword argent placed bendwise sinister; 4th azure with a pegasus courant and reversed argent.
13) France – D’azur au lion acc de trois étoiles rangées en chef et une fasce ondée brochant sur le lion le tout d’argent English: Azure a lion, accompanied by three etoiles arranged in chief, and a fess undy covering over the lion, all argent.
14) Dauphiné – Étienne-Jean- dit Lacoste né à Roman (Isère) 1773 (Reverend Arm. du 1er Empire) – Écartelé au 1 d’or à la forteresse de sable flanquée de deux tours la tour senestre ruinée par un foudre de gueules mouvant de l’angle senestre du chef au 2 de gueules à l’épée haute en pal d’argent au 3 d’azur à trois pyramides d’or accostées à dextre à un palmier aussi d’or et à senestre d’un croissant renversé d’argent au 4 d’argent au chevron de gueules acc de trois étoiles du mesme English: Quarterly: 1st or with a castle sable with two towers, the tower sinister ruined by a thunderbolt gules, coming from the angle sinister of the chief; 2nd gules with a sword upwards palewise argent; 3rd azure three pyramids or side by side, to the dexter with a palm tree also or, and to the sinister a crescent reversed argent; 4th argent a chevron gules, accompanied by three etoiles of the same.
15) Gâtinais – D’azur à la bande d’argent ch de trois merlettes de sable et acc de deux étoiles d’or English: Azure a bend argent, charged with three merlettes [without beak or feet] sable, and accompanied by two etoiles or.
16) Lorraine – (An., 1496) – D’azur à une tête de More couronnée d’or cantonnée de quatre chardons au naturel English: Azure with a head of a Moor crowned or, surrounded by four thistles proper, one in each quarter of the shield.
17) Lorraine – (An., 1487) – D’azur à une étoile d’argent vidée du champ English: Azure with an estoile argent voided of the field.
18) Gâtinais – Armes vers 1240 – D’azur à la croix recercelée d’argent à la cotice de gueules brochant en bande English: Azure with a cross recercelée [cross moline with the ends a bit more curved] argent, covered by a single cotice gules placed bendwise.
19) Clément dit Mont-Clément – Dauphiné – D’or au lion de sable acc de sept tourteaux du même rangés en orle English: Or a lion sable, accompanied by seven roundels of the same, arranged in orle.
20) Clément d’Aerzen – Paris – (Baron de l’Empire) – Écartelé au 1 d’azur à un mont d’argent surmonté d’une tête de cheval

coupée d’or aux 2 et 3 de gueules à trois épées d’argent garnies d’or deux posées en sautoir et la troisième brochant en pal acc d’une étoile d’argent brochant sur la lame de l’épée du milieu au 4 d’or à deux palmiers de sinople posés sur une terrasse du même Sur le tout de sable à un coeur d’argent enflammé de gueules English: Quarterly: 1st azure with a mount argent, surmounted by the head of a horse couped or; 2nd and 3rd gules three swords argent hilts and pommells or, two placed saltirewise and the third covering them in pale, accompanied by an etoile, argent covering over the blade of the sword in the middle; 4th or two palm trees vert, placed on a mount of the same; on an escutcheon sable a heart argent inflamed gules.
21) Clément de Beauvais – Bretagne – De gueules à trois écussons d’argent English: Gules three escucheons argent.
22) Clément de Blavette et de Givry – Paris – Armes anc De gueules à la fasce d’or Armes mod Coupé de gueules à un soleil d’or sur azur à une fleur-de-lis d’or à la fasce d’or brochant sur le coupé Cimier une main tenant une épée transperçant un casque de chevalier sur lequel court un lézard de sinople Supports deux lions couronnés Devise SI REGNARE CUPIS REGNAT CLEMENTIA TECUM English: Ancient Coat of arms: Gules a fess or; modern Coat of arms: per fess – gules with a sun or, over azure with a fleur de lys or, a fess or covering over the partition; Crest: a hand holding a sword piercing trough a helmet of a knight with a running lizard vert on top; Supporters: two lions crowned; Motto: SI REGNARE CUPIS REGNAT CLEMENTIA TECUM.
23) Clément de Castel – Bretagne – D’argent à trois bandes de gueules English: Argent three bends gules.
24) Clément de Cléty – Brabant – (An., 8 oct. 1758; chevaliers, 25 nov. 1789; rec. dudit titre, 1825) – D’argent à la croix de gueules ch de quatre têtes de léopard d’or bouclées du même la croix cantonnée de vingt mouchetures d’hermine de sable 5 à chaque canton (Clément) Sur le tout écartelé aux 1 et 4 d’argent semé de fers de lance de sable au lion du même armé et lampassé de gueules brochant sur les fers de lance aux 2 et 3 d’hermine à une étoile (5) de sable (Aix) Casque couronné Cimier une tête de léopard de l’écu entre un vol d’or et de gueules Lambrequin d’or et de gueules Supports deux léopards d’or bouclés du même English: Argent with a cross gules, charged by four leopard’s heads or ringed of the same, the cross surrounded by twenty ermine spots sable – five in each quarter ( Clément ); an escutcheon: quarterly 1st and 4th argent semee of spear heads sable, over all a lion of the same, armed and langued gules; 2nd and 3rd ermine with an five pointed estoile sable (Aix); Crowned with a helmet – Crest: the head of a lion from the escutcheon affrontee, between a pair of wings or and gules; Mantling: or and gules; Supporters: two leopards or ringed of the same.
25) Clément de La Roncière – France – (Baron de l’Empire) – D’azur au chevron d’or acc en chef de deux étoiles d’argent et en pointe d’une colombe du même tenant en son bec une branche d’olivier de sinople au chef d’or ch d’un dextrochère de gueules et au canton senestre de gueules ch d’un casque de dragon d’or à la crinière de sable English: Azure a chevron or, accompanied by in chief of two etoiles argent, and in base of a dove of the same, holding in its beak a branch of olive vert, a chief or charged with a dextrochère (a dexter arm in armour, holding a sword) gules, a canton sinister gules charged with a dragoon’s helmet or with a mane sable.
26) Clément de Lespine – P. de Châlons – D’or à deux cornes de sable l’une sur l’autre acc en chef d’une étoile de gueules et en pointe d’une rose du même English: Or two horns sable one over the other, accompanied by in chief of an etoile gules and in base of a rose of the same.
27) Clément de Ris – France – (Comtes de Mauny 21, nov. 1810) – D’azur au chevron d’argent acc en chef de deux étoiles d’or et en pointe d’une colombe d’argent tenant en son bec une branche d’olivier de sinople English: Azure a chevron argent, accompanied in chief by two etoiles or and in base by a dove argent, holding in its beak a branch of olive vert.
28) Clément d’Ornans – Franche-Comté – (An., 2 mars 1590) – De gueules à deux demi-vols adossées d’argent Cimier un demi-vol d’argent English: Gules two single wing addorsed [back to back] argent; Crest: a single wing argent.
29) Clément du Mez – Languedoc – D’or à la bande de gueules English: Or a bend gules.
30) Clément du Vaulx – Tournaisis – D’or à trois bandes de gueules English: Or three bends gules.
31) (Chardstock, co. Dorset, and Plymouth, co. Devon. Visit. Devon, 1620). Ar. two bends wavy gu. on a chief of the last, three estoiles or. Crest—On a mount vert a griffin sejant or.
32) (Kent). Ar. two bends wavy sa. on a chief gu. three leopards’ faces or.
33) Ar. two bends wavy sa. betw. as many leopards’ faces gu. within a bordure of the third.
34) Ar. two bends wavy sa. on a chief gu. three leopards’ faces or, all within a bordure gobony of the first and az.
35) (Kent). Erm. three garbs gu. within a bordure sa. bezantee, a canton of the arms of Longvill.
36) (Norfolk). Gu. three garbs ar. within a bordure sa. bezantee. Crest—A lio pass. ar. guttee de sang.
37) Paly of six ar. and az. a fesse gu.
38) Ar. three bars nebulee and a bend sa. on a chief gu. as many leopards’ faces or.
39) Gu. a chev. erm. betw. three portcullises or.
40) (Lower Clapton, co. Middlesex). Per fesse indented ar. and gu. three garbs counterchanged, all within a bordure sa. charged with ten crosses crosslet of the first. Crest—A lion pass. ar. guttee de sang gorged with a collar and charged on the body with two crosses crosslet in fesse gu.
41) (Fun. Ent. of Abraham Clement, d. at Killenacrat, co. Cavan, 5 April, 1677). Ar. two bends wavy sa. on a chief gu. three bezants.
42) (Earl of Leitrim). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. two bends wavy sa. on a chief gu. three bezants, for Clements; 2nd and 3rd, per pale indented or and gu., for Bermingham. Crest—A hawk ppr. Supporters—Dexter, a buck ppr., in its mouth a trefoil; sinister, a buck ppr. plain collared or. Motto—Patriis virtutibus.
43) (Ashfield Lodge, co. Cavan). Same Arms, Crest and Motto, without Bermingham quartering.
44) (Lucas-Clements, granted 23 July, 1823, to Theophilus Edward Lucas, Esq., of Rathenny, co. Cavan, on his assuming by royal licence the additional surname and arms of Clements). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. two bendlets wavy ea. on a chief gu. three bezants, for Clements; 2nd and 3rd, ar. a fess betw six annulets gu., for Lucas. Crests—1st: A hawk close ppr. belled and jessed or; 2nd: A demi gryphon ar. beaked and membered or. Motto—Patriis virtutibus.