Arms of Le Spring family of Houghton-le-Spring, historically in County Durham, it is now administered as part of the of the Tyne and Wear county. Le Spring. Argent, an escutcheon in an orle of martlets sable (Foster, Joseph, ed. (1887). Pedigrees recorded at the Visitations of the County Palatine of Durham made by William Flower, Norroy King-of-Arms, in 1575, by Richard St George, Norroy King-of-Arms, in 1615, and by William Dugdale, Norroy King-of-Arms, in 1666. London, p.12, "Bellasis of Morton"[1]) ('Armorial Index', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of Cambridge (London, 1959), pp. 397-414. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/cambs/pp397-414 [accessed 10 December 2020])  ? Sir Rowland Belassis of Belasis, Beauly and Wolveston, knighted at the Battle of Lewes, 1264, acquired the estate of Houghton-le-Spring in right of his wife by charter dated 1239, namely Mary Le Spring, daughter of Sir Henry Le Spring. ly in the town, but in idl the villages of the parish. Mackenzie, Eneas stated: "Houghton Manor. — The last male of the family of Le Spring, the ancient lords of Houghton, was murdered in his own manor house by Robert Lacelles ; soon after which, Ralph Lord Nevill of Raby was excommunicated by Bishop Kellow, 1313, for seising and retaining the armour of the murdered Sir John Spring. Mary, said to be daughter and heiress of Henry le Spring, and in her own right lord of Houghton, married Rouland Belasyse. But there is much obscurity and contradiction in the early history of Houghton, which cannot now be remedied" (Mackenzie, Eneas, An historical, topographical, and descriptive view of the county palatine of Durham, 1834, p.355[2])