Where Did They Come From?
There are companies who advertise to send you a shield with the Jillings coat of arms and history. I have several, all different, all with different accounts of where the family originated. I’m sure it’s all made up for the gullible. It’s pretty unlikely that any Jillings had a grant of arms, but there aren’t any records around to prove or disprove what these companies say. If anyone knows different, it would be great to hear from you!
I’ve been researching the name and family history for many years, and have wandered up many dead ends, examined some very unlikely guesses, and disproved a few theories. Here’s what I know to be so, or am reasonably confident is so.
There are or have been branches of the Jillings family in many parts of the UK and overseas. Often, these can be traced back to the main centres listed under Geography below – but not always.
For example, the Mr and Mrs Jillings who kept a hotel in Conwy in North Wales came from rural Suffolk, and were related to my father.