A little family history on the Groutt Coat-of-Arms…

Below is a note about the Coat-of-Arms from Robert Milton Grout’s research:

“Our documented family line begins in England with : I. Sir Richard Groutte, Esq., b. Abt 1562, d. (?), m. (?)   Sir Richard is presumed to be our oldest direct Ancestor of record because he received his Coat-of-Arms from Queen Elizabeth in Walton, Derbyshire England on 28 May 1587 and this Coat-of-Arms was still in the family in 1857. Nothing is really known of this man; where he was from or what service he did that led to his Knighthood. He is said to have been “certified to be a descendant of an ancient family.” It’s also unclear if he was from Walton or was just Knighted there.”

John Grout, who arrived in America in 1634, was born in 1616 presumably in Cornwall, England.  Family oral tradition in 1857 indicates that John, his brother William, and his father left Wales escaping the plague.  From what I can see online it appears that historically Anglo-Saxons referred to Cornwall as “West Wales” to distinguish it from “North Wales” which is known as Wales today.  This could be a possible reason why the probable origin of Cornwall, England, was apparently referred to as Wales by John and his brother.

John’s father died quite soon after he and his sons arrived in America.  In the book The Genealogy of the Descendants of Several Ancient Puritans, by Rev. Abner Morse1857 he surmises that John’s father was the son of Sir Richard Groutte based on the understanding that John was in possession of the family Coat-of-Arms when he arrived in America.