Boutersem

BOUTERSEM

Province : Vlaams-Brabant
Additions: 1964 Vertrijk; 1970 Kerkom, Roosbeek (1822 Neerbutsel); 1977 Honsem (1964 Meldert, Neervelp, Opvelp, Willebringen)

Official blazon

(1819) no offical description available
(1838) Dwarsstreepen van geel koleur met dry lynregte paelen van rood koleur, op groen koleur met dry zilveren waterkastanien.
(1987) In sinopel een geopende woontoren met puntdak van goud, gemetseld en met valhek van keel, geplaatst op een heuvel met zeven toppen (3 en 4) van zilver. Het schild getopt met een baronnenmuts van de Oostenrijkse Nederlanden.

Origin/meaning

The first arms were granted on October 18, 1819 and confirmed on May 23, 1838 and the new arms on March 10, 1987.

The first arms are identical to the famous Van Boutersem family.

The family was first mentioned in the early 12^th century. The oldest known arms of the family date from 1213 from a seal form Hendrik van Boutersem. He only used the three diamonds. The chief, with the arms of the Counts of Mechelen, was added after the marriage of Hendrik II van Boutersem with a daughter of the Counts van Mechelen. Ever since the arms of the family remained unchanged.

The family became Marquises of Bergen op Zoom, and thus the arms appear on many different towns in this Marquisate (now nearly all in the Netherlands), such as Fijnaart en Heijningen, Halsteren, Ossendrecht, Rucphen, Standdaarbuiten, Willemstad, Woensdrecht, Wouw, Oudenbosch en Oosthuizen; as well as in the Belgian municipalities of Bonheiden, Weerde, and Zemst.

The arms in the Koffie Hag/Café Hag albums +/- 1930

The new arms were granted in 1987 after the mergers. These arms are based on the oldest seal of the Boutersem council, known since 1366. Similar seals are knosn from 1390 and 1503. All seals show a simple castle tower on a hill.

The colours are again those of the Van Boutersem family. In 1650 the Boutersem manor was promoted to a Barony for the, then Lord of Boutersem, Jan Jacob d'Ittre de Castre. Therfore the new arms show the baronial crown.

The arms on a police badge (source)

Literature: Servais, 1955

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