Family Roots Publishing has just released the fifth in a series of volumes dealing with popular Germanic surnames. This book goes into great detail in covering Becker/Beckher heraldry and genealogy.
To celebrate the publication of the colorful new volume, FRPC is offering all five volumes 15% off MSRP for a limited time. Click on the links to view each item.
The four volumes are:
Muller/Mueller Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
Wagner Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
Hoffmann Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
Bauer/Baur Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
Becker/Beckher Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
Becker/Beckher: A Geographical Perspective, by Frederick George Siler; 2020; 260 pp; 8.5×11; paperback; color illustrations; ISBN: 978-1-62859-282-5; Item #: FR0704.
This volume deals with the Germanic heraldry of families whose name was one of the most common in Germany – that of Becker.
Ever since the late middle ages, surnames in every European country have continued to spread out and develop into a significant number of variant spellings. This phenomenon is due mainly to the fact that the spelling of names in early times, as well as spelling in general, was not yet standardized. Later on, spellings would also change with the branching and movement of families. The complexity of researching historical records is compounded by the reality that, in many cases, an ancestor’s surname may have been misspelled. Since the first use of the Becker surname in northwestern Germany and parts of the Low Countries, the name and its variant spellings had quickly spread throughout the rest of Germany, Denmark, and the Scandanavian countries of Europe. In English and other European languages, such as Dutch, Yiddish, and Danish, the name is also spelled many ways.
The following is a list of Becker spelling variations: As the Becker surname has become widespread, not only in Germany but throughout Europe, many different spellings of the name have arisen over the centuries. The following variant spellings were investigated during the preparation of this book: Bacher, Backer, Bäcker Beccher, Becher, Bechler, Becker, Beckker, Becquer, Bekker Bicker, Brecher, Bricker, Bucher, Decker, Ecker, Kocher, Necker, Packer, Päcker, Pecher, Recher, and Secker.
The following is from the Table of Contents:
- Preface
- Introduction
CHAPTER 1 – Synthesizing Heraldry and Genealogy for a Practical Research Tool
- What is Heraldry?
- Common aspects of Genealogy
- Heraldry and the family historian
- Geography as a fundamental tool for integrating heraldry and genealogy
- Associating a coat-of-arms with your ancestor
CHAPTER 2 – A Brief Introduction to German Heraldry
- Historical Background of Germanic Heraldry
- Components of the Germanic Coat-of-Arms
- Modern German Heraldry
CHAPTER 3 – Heraldic Symbolism
- Introduction to heraldic symbolism
- Symbolism of the colors, furs, lines, divisions, and ordinaries
- Symbolism of the common charges
CHAPTER 4 – An Introduction to the Becker Surname
- Origins and meanings of the name
- Variations of the Becker surname.
- Location and distribution of the surname
- Some historical documentations of Becker
CHAPTER 5 – Becker Armorial Bearings: Defining the Elements
- Introduction to the geographical territory
- Bearer(s) of the coat-of-arms
- Particular geographical locale(s) associated with the bearer(s)
- Description of the coat-of-arms
- Interpreting the coat-of-arms
- Other Bauer arms bearers of this geographical territory
- Additional geographical and genealogical resources
CHAPTER 6 – Becker Heraldry and Genealogy: A Geographical Perspective
- Bavaria
- Belgium
- Brandenburg
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- France
- Hamburg
- Hesse
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lower Austria
- Lower Saxony
- Luxemburg
- Netherlands
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Silesia
- Slovakia
- Styria
- Switzerland
- Thuringia
- Tyrol
- Vorarlberg
- West Prussia
CHAPTER 7 – Interpreting the Heraldry of Becker
- Charges associated with the meaning of the surname
- Recognizing different branches of a family in Germanic armory.
- Discerning marital unions, inheritance or other similar family relationships.
- Evolution of the family coat-of-arms
- Heraldic elements that address an honor or notable accomplishment.
- Ancient house or family marks.
- Armorial achievements that convey a military theme.
- Charges that could represent a specific characteristic of the bearer.
- Coats-of-arms displaying symbols of the bearer’s religious faith.
- Charges that may identify early family occupations, traditions or events.
- Curious and uncommon charges.
APPENDIX A – Gallery of Becker Coats-of-Arms
APPENDIX B – Glossary of Heraldic Symbolism
APPENDIX C – A Glossary of Special Terminology
APPENDIX D – Online Genealogy Research by Location
APPENDIX E: A Guide to Additional Resources
INDEX: Historical and Modern Geographical Locales
The following is from the Introduction:
The primary endeavor of this treatise is to assist the family historian with establishing a coat-of-arms applicable to the German roots of their ancestors. To fully appreciate its contents, one needs only a basic level of competence about the functions of genealogical investigations. We believe that this book will serve to acquaint you with the basics of heraldry, as well as how to use a coat-of-arms to add more depth to your family history. The genealogist who strives for accuracy in the depiction of their ancestral story will enjoy using this reference book as it is indeed possible to locate a Germanic coat-of-arms that can be associated with a paternal or maternal hereditary family. It may be as general in scope as a match between the region where your antecedents originated or as accurate as the armorial bearings of someone in your family tree database. Either way, you will not only be able to explain why that particular image is appropriate to your research but also have some idea of how to interpret the meaning of the arms. As with most heraldic endeavors, there is a genealogical parallel involved because it is common for published armorials to not only describe a family coat-of-arms but also to include some of that family’s history as well.
We believe that this book is a truly unique and useful research tool for family historians whose primary language is English in the following ways:
While resources written about German heraldry and genealogy are widespread, this book is unique in that it is one of the very few that have been written for researchers who are not fluent in the German language.
The vast majority of resources adapted to the synthesis of heraldry and genealogy are exclusive to the armigerous families of the British Isles. This book is different in that it focuses on the heraldry and genealogy of Germanic Central Europe.
This book not only synthesizes German heraldry and genealogy, but it also places it into a geographical perspective – the importance of which is not lost on researchers who have attempted to locate an ancestral location of German families based upon an 18th or 19th-century record for a place now in a different country under a different name. Herein we have sought to unravel this problem with short and concise explanations linking both the historical and modern-day locations, the names of which are listed in the index found at the end of this book. Also, in Appendix B, there are links to where additional family records can be located within that geographical locale.
Our research shows that very little attention has been given, in the literature, to authentic reproductions of Germanic coats-of-arms. In our “Gallery of Becker Coats-of-Arms,” the reader will find many re-created historical images constructed directly from descriptions and illustrations of the original coat-of-arms.
A feature of this book has an interpretation component that will add further understanding of the armorial bearings associated with your German ancestors. The “Glossary of Heraldic Symbolism” contains hundreds of terms along with definitions of what the heraldic symbols incorporated into the coat-of-arms represent or suggest. In addition, a “Glossary of Specialized Terminology,” has an alphabetical listing of uncommon, or specialized words relevant to the study of Germanic genealogy, heraldry, and geography along with the definitions for those terms found in the books of this German Surnames Series.
Other topics, such as the origins and meanings of the surname, common spelling variations, as well as current and historical locations and distributions of the name, are 12 comprehensively addressed in this book. Most historians agree that information of this nature is essential for adding context to any family history.
This unique 21st-century book of Becker armory and history is written in a language easily understood by North American heralds, family historians, and genealogists interested in German ancestry. Those who successfully use it are sure to achieve a better understanding of why armorial bearings have been an important family-symbol throughout all European cultures.
Order your copy today by clicking on the following link.
Becker/Beckher: A Geographical Perspective, by Frederick George Siler; 2020; 260 pp; 8.5×11; paperback; color illustrations; ISBN: 978-1-62859-282-5; Item #: FR0704.
