At some point in the 1500s, the Weavers escaped Germany facing prosecution that is poorly recorded within our family. There, a generation of Weavers spent time in Holland before emigrating to America. John Weaver then traveled with his brothers, eventually splitting off from them to live with the Cherokee and later claim their land for himself. This particular line of ancestry is poorly recorded pre-emigration, but we present it here to give a nod to the German ancestry in our family!

The Weaver Crest

The Weavers have our crest, which is featured on the home page of the website, from our German-European ancestry. This crest has been recorded in the Library of Congress, where its colors and meaning are described as follows:

Colors

Rams head- silver with gold horns

Wreath beneath the crest- silver and sable (black)

Shield (A)- silver bars on the sable shield

Shield (B)- "3 garb or," which means three sheaves of grain in gold or yellow

Meaning

The ram- represents the flock of sheep our European ancestors used for wool and food. It further represents the responsibility we have to "lead our flock to green pastures, and still waters," while also having the courage to defend ourselves from intruders or those that would harm us when necessary.

The grain- Represents independence and dependability, which the Weaver family prides itself greatly on. The grain is in sheaves, which further symbolizes the importance of food and reinforces our responsibility to care for the land.

The shield- represents the absence of ignorance, suspicion, and hate.

The first bar- symbolizes justice, mercy, and love as opposed to spear, sword, and cannon.

The second bar- symbolizes a commitment to education and the pursuit of knowledge.

The wreath of silver and sable- Represents the encirclement of our family and community with the light of love and education.

"Accept your shield, care for it, come home with it-- or ON it"

- Excerpt from The Tribe of Jacob, a book that follows the Weaver Genealogy post-immigration to America