Perry

The Ancient History of the Distinguished Surname Perry

The name Perry was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Perry family lived in Hampshire. Their name, however, is a reference to the Old English word “perie,” meaning “pear tree,” and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived near such a landmark.

Historians have studied documents such as the Domesday Book, compiled by WilliamI of England, in search of the first record of the Perry surname. It has been determined that the Perry name is of Norman origin, and was first found in Hampshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Over the centuries the spelling of the Perry surname has changed and developed. Perry appears in the records spelled as Perry, Perrie, with spelling variations even occurringin documents referring to the same person. There are several explanations for this situation. Latin, as a language used by educated men, and the language of the Anglo-Saxons both had a profound impact on the spelling and pronunciation of Norman names. On the other hand, the Norman language effected the development of English.

As the English language developed from its Germanic roots into Middle English (which was influenced by Norman French) we find a period during which spelling was not standardized but roughly followed phonetic pronunciation. During this time names were spelled a variety of ways depending upon local dialects. Thus your name, as well as the Anglo-Saxon names, were recorded in many different ways. Norman surnames such as Perry have been mistakenly considered to be French. The Normans were more accurately of Viking origin. In about the year 911 Vikings settled

in the region named after them, Normandy, in what is now France. The word Norman is derived from “Northmen,” as the Vikings were called. While in Normandy these Vikings merged the language of the local people with their own, creating a distinct dialect of French. Throughout this period England also suffered Viking invasions, however they were successfully repelled by the Anglo-Saxons until 994. While the Danes ruled England, the Saxon royal family lived in Normandy and intermarried with the Duke of Normandy’s family. This situation made it possible for William II, Duke of Normandy to claim the English throne when his cousin Edward the Confessor, the restored Saxon king, died without heir.

At the Battle of Hastings William and his army defeated his rival, the elected king Harold Godwin. Because Harold did not belong to the royal family William’s claim to the throne was legitimized. Despite the success of the foreign “conquest,” English nobles were permitted to keep their land until they rebelled, after which William granted their lands to his followers. One of these Norman nobles is believed to be an ancestor of this name.

Records reveal that the Perry family established themselves in Hampshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated as Lords of the manor and estates in that shire. They were originally descended from Norman Perree who was granted lands in Hampshire and recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a tenant in chief, the name also appeared on the Roll of Battell Abbey. They branched to Gloucestershire and Devon where they held a family seat at Walter. They also acquired estates in Cornwall, Worcestershire, and Buckinghamshire. In Warwickshire their seat was at Bitham House. They flourished on their estates for several centuries.

Notable members of the family at this time include Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew Perry, American Naval Commanders. After the Norman conquest England was politically and socially restructured. Norman clergy reformed the church, trade with the European continent brought economic benefits, and Norman French became the nation’s official language. Unfortunately Norman rule was not consistently progressive, and after a long civil war in the middle of the 12th century, the crown passed to the Plantagenet family. Centuries later, after the reign of the Tudors, England witnessed several generations of complete upheaval. The result of years of political and religious upheaval was the banishment or voluntary flight of families from their homeland.

Protestant families were settled in Ireland in order to maintain a population on the island that was not Catholic. Other families moved to Ireland as the followers of Cromwell, who were granted lands confiscated from the Irish. In Ireland they settled in counties Clare and Limerick where they were elevated to the peerage as the Viscounts Perry and the Earls of Limerick. In 1890, a birth census of Scottish families in Ireland was taken. From that census, it was estimated that there were over 1,030 people bearing the surname Perry throughout Ireland; about 43 percent were living in the province of Ulster where the families were found in Down.

The New World also beckoned a people weary of the turmoil at home. Despite the dangers of the journey, bearers of the Perry family name sailed to the newly discovered colonies in the Americas in order to start a new life. Settlers bearing your surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Thomas Perry who settled in Virginia in 1635; Elizabeth and Edward Perry settled in Virginia in 1637; Eben Perry settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1767 with his wife and two children; Henry and George Perry settled in Boston in 1651; Isaac Perry settled in Salem in 1631. A large numbers of English settlers moved north to Canada following the American Revolution, when Canada became a haven to thousands of families loyal to the British crown. The greatest influx of immigrants to the United States occurred between the 1840s and the 1920s. Between these years, around 37 million immigrants arrived in the United States. Many of these later settlers followed opportunities westward. Throughout the ages the Perry family has contributed to society in the Old World and the New. Contemporary notables bearing the surname, Perry, include Sir Walter Perry, Physician; Frank Perry, Film Director; Samuel Perry, Biochemist; Fred Perry (b.1933) tennis player; Aylesworth Perry, longest-serving Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Charles Perry, New Zealand Librarian; Kenneth Perry, British Physician; Chris Perry, English footballer; Edward A Perry, American politician, Governor of Florida; James Richard Perry, American politician, Governor of Texas; Antionette Perry, American actress & director, founder of the Tony Awards; William James Perry (b.1927) U.S. Secretary of Defense (1994–97) and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; Oliver Perry (1785-1819) American military leader; Bill Perry, American musician; and Fred Perry (b.1909)  merican tennis player.

During the course of our research we also determined the many Coat of Arms granted to different branches of the family name. The most ancient Coat of Arms found was: A shield divided quarterly red and gold, with three blue lions passant on a silver bend. The Crest was:

A hind’s head erased, holding in its mouth a pear tree sprig.

The ancient family Motto for this distinguished name was:

Recte agens confido

Motto translation:

While acting uprightly I am confident.