Eyre legend


The legend of the person who was the founder of the Eyre and Ayre families, and who was supposedly previously known by the surname "Truelove", is a story that appears in genealogies. However, there is no definitive historical evidence confirming the existence of this person.
After the battle William told him "thou shalt hereafter instead of Truelove be called Eyre because thou hast given me the air I breathe."
Truelove the "Eyr" or "Heyr" was granted land in Derby as a reward for his services, together with a Coat of Arms featuring "a human leg in Armour couped at the thigh quarterly argent and sable spurred", in reference to the sacrifice of his limb. Some of these features may persist in one of the current Eyre coats of arms, which features three gold quatrefoils on a black chevron with a white background.
Another variation of the story of the origin of the Eyre crest is that Humphrey le Heyr of Bromham rescued Richard Coeur de Lion at the siege of Ascalon, at the cost of his leg, and that the leg couped was granted to him in remembrance of the occasion.