Drewer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Drewer was an occupational name for someone who was a "driver" or "drover" for someone who "drove a herd of cattle, especially to distant markets." 1 2 3

Another source goes into more detail: "driver, the driftman; on Moors the man employed to sweep together the colts and horses and cattle and sheep sent out on the commons, to a centre where the owners may claim them." 4

Early Origins of the Drewer family

The surname Drewer was first found in Cambridgeshire where Alice le Driveres was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. Later, Gilbert le Drivere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1283. 5 Both of these entries point to the occupational nature of the name as for the latter, means "Gilbert the Driver."

The Lay Subsidy (Rylands) for Lancashire show William le Dryver, as holding lands there in 1332 and the Writs of Parliament includes entries for John le Drivere and Richard le Drivere, c. 1300. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Johannes Dryver as holding lands at that time. 3

"The name of Driver is well represented in the district of Ely, [Cambridgeshire]. It is also established in Lancashire and Yorkshire. In the 17th century a gentle family of the name resided at Avening, Gloucestershire." 6

Early History of the Drewer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drewer research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1332, 1563 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Drewer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drewer Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Driver, Dryver and others.

Early Notables of the Drewer family

More information is included under the topic Early Drewer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drewer migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Drewer or a variant listed above were:

Drewer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Drewer, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 7

Drewer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Drewer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Daniel Drewer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1840 8
Joseph Drewer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1847 9
Sarah Drewer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1847 9
Mary Drewer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1847 9
Daniel Drewer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1847 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
Baring-Gould S., Family Names and their Story. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited, 1913. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WATERLOO 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Waterloo.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARINER 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Mariner.htm