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![Show Contents]() Clere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Clere is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Clere family lived in Suffolk. The family was originally from Clere, in Vexin, Normandy. The family de Clare were Norman lords who were descended from Richard fitz Gilbert, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England during the Norman Conquest. The family received huge estates including Clare, now a small town Suffolk; and Tonbridge, now a market town in Kent for their efforts. 1 The parish of St. Cleer in Cornwall is an important location for the family. "The name of this parish is derived from a celebrated female saint called Clare, to whom the church is dedicated, and who is presumed to be its tutelar guardian. She was born of an honourable family in Italy, and having rendered herself famous for the austerity of her manners, she set up a college of virgins, which, after her name were called the order of the Poor Clares of St. Benedict, under the solemn vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity, according to the rule of St. Francis. St. Clare died in the year 1252, aged 70. Now by the death of St. Clare, St. Francis, and St. Benedict, says Hals, may be nearly computed the ages of those churches dedicated to them, and bearing their names in this county. From this parish was denominated an ancient family of gentlemen surnamed De St. Cleare, from whence are descended the St. Cleares of Tudwell, in Devonshire." 2 Early Origins of the Clere familyThe surname Clere was first found in Suffolk where "Richard de Clare (d. 1090) held no less than ninety-five lordships in Suffolk, all attached to his chief lordship of Clare in the same county. To this family we owe the name of an English town, an Irish county, royal dukedom (Clarence), and Cambridge college." 3 Richard fitz Gilbert (d. 1114) was referred to as "Richard of Clare" in the Suffolk return of the Domesday Survey. By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a branch of the family was found in Cambridgeshire as that rolls listed Alan filius Clare as holding lands there at that time. The same rolls also listed: Bogo de Clare in Oxfordshire; Gilbert de Clare in Bedfordshire; Richard de Clara in Somerset; Thomas de Clare in Lincolnshire; and William de Clare in Norfolk. 3 In 1379, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls was complied and it listed the name as both a surname and a forename: Isabella Clare; Clara Dey; and Clare Schepard. 3 Another source confirms the wide migration of the family by the 13th century: "Clare is an ancient Oxfordshire name. In feudal times the De Clares were a very powerful family in southern England. In the 13th century the name of De Clare or De Clar' was established in Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Somerset." 4 Some of the family were found at Waldingham in Surrey in ancient times. "This place appears to be mentioned in Domesday Book under the appellation of Wallingham; it was held at the time of the survey under Richard de Clare, and lands here were possessed by the Clares for some time subsequently." 5 And another branch was found at Yeddingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. "In 1163, Roger and Helwysia de Clere founded a priory here for nine nuns of the Benedictine order, dedicated to the Virgin Mary." 5 Early History of the Clere familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clere research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1130, 1148, 1153, 1172, 1176, 1217, 1220, 1416, 1453, 1471, 1479, 1511, 1512, 1515, 1529, 1538, 1539, 1545, 1546, 1547, 1557, 1577, 1604, 1605, 1618, 1628, 1677, 1793 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Clere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clere Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Clere are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Clere include Clair, Clare, Clere, O'Clear, O'Clair and others. Early Notables of the Clere familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1100-1148); Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1130-1176); and Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford (1153-1217.) Isabel de Clare, was the 4th Countess of Pembroke (1172-1220.)
John Clare (1577-1628), was an English Jesuit, born...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clere RankingIn France, the name Clere is the 6,301st most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Clere family to Ireland
Some of the Clere family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Clere migration to the United States | + |
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Clere, or a variant listed above:
Clere Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Josephine Clere, aged 19, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1833 aboard the ship "Othello"
- Maria Clere, aged 31, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1833 aboard the ship "Othello"
- Catharine Clere, aged 14, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1833 aboard the ship "Othello"
- Jean Pierre Clere, aged 3, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1833 aboard the ship "Othello"
- Francoise Clere, aged 4, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York in 1833 aboard the ship "Othello"
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Clere migration to West Indies | + |
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7Clere Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- Mr. John Clere, (b. 1608), aged 26, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 8
| Contemporary Notables of the name Clere (post 1700) | + |
- Edward D. 'Ed' Clere (b. 1974), American politician, Member of the Indiana House of Representatives (2008-)
- Hugo Clere (b. 1994), French motorcycle racer
- Colonel Francis Clere Hitchcock MC (1896-1962), Irish author who wrote Stand To—A Diary of the Trenches (1915–1918)
- John Clere Parsons (1760-1826), Anglo-Irish lawyer, politician and judge, Member of Parliament for King's County (1818–1821)
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Clere migration to the United States 
Clere migration to West Indies 
England
France-Alt
Ireland
