Glasier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain were the first to use the name of Glasier. The name had a practical origin since it came from when its initial bearer worked as a person who worked as a glazier. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word glaes, which described a person who manufactured glass objects.

"The different forms of this name in the London Directory are Glaisher, Glaser, Glasier, Glaysher, Glazer, and Glazier. Other surnames from the manufacture of glass are Glasswright and Glassman." 1

Early Origins of the Glasier family

The surname Glasier was first found in Yorkshire where Adam Glasere was the first listing of the family appearing in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

As a truly occupational name Thomas le glasyer was listed in Cornwall in 1297. Later, Robert le Glasiere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327. 2

Early History of the Glasier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glasier research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379 and 1560 are included under the topic Early Glasier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glasier Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Glasier include Glazier, Glazer, Glasier and others.

Early Notables of the Glasier family

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

Migration of the Glasier family to Ireland

Some of the Glasier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glasier migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Glasier or a variant listed above:

Glasier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Glasier, who landed in Virginia in 1706 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Glasier (post 1700) +

John Glasier (1809-1894), Canadian lumberman and Canadian senator from New Brunswick
Katharine Glasier (1867-1950), British socialist journalist
John Bruce Glasier (1859-1920), Scottish socialist politician, founding member of the Scottish Land Restoration League

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)