Ellen Gouldsby

The surname of COLBY was a locational name 'of Colby' a parish in County Norfolk. Local names usually denoted where a man held his land, and indicated where he actually lived. The name was originally derived from the Old Norman personal name KOLBYR, and was brought into England in the wake of the Norman Invasion of 1066. Early records of the name mention COLEBEI (without surname) who was listed as a tenant in the Domesday Book of 1066. COLEBI (without surname) was documented in 1191 in County Norfolk, and William de Colebi appears in the year 1176 in County Norwich. William de Colby was the rector of Wilby in County Suffolk in the year 1331. Willelmus de Coleby of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Later instances of the name include Joseph Coleby and Elizabeth Luckock, who were married at St. James's, Clerkenwell, London in the year 1695. Families acquired a place name as a surname under three different sets of circumstances. Either the man lived or worked in, on or near some topographic formation or landscape feature, either natural or artificial or he formerly lived in a village, town or city and acquired the reputation of being from that place. Finally he owned or was lord of the village or manor designated. In the overwhelming majority of cases it is impossible to say whether a remote ancestor owned the manor or had merely once lived in that place. However, it is safe to say that in most cases a manor or village name merely identifies the place where the original bearer of the name formerly resided. It has long been a matter of doubt when the bearing of coats of arms first became hereditary and it was not until the Crusades that Heraldry came into general use. Men went into battle heavily armed and were difficult to recognise. It became the custom for them to adorn their helmets with distinctive crests, and to paint their shields with animals and the like. Coats of arms accompanied the development of surnames, becoming hereditary in the same way. The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884