Contents [hide]

Gower History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Gower History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Gower family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in the district north of Paris which is known in Old French as Gohiere. There are also numerous places in Normandy called Gouy, to which the Anglo-Norman French suffix er was added to make "Gower." 1

Early Origins of the Gower family

The surname Gower was first found in Yorkshire, where a family of Gower, ancestors of the Duke of Sutherland, held a family seat in Stittenham Township, "descended from Sir Nicholas Gower, knight of the shire for this county in the reign of Edward III., and seated at Stittenham from about the same period." 2

Another reference is more specific. "All of Antiquities agree that this family is one of the oldest in the county of York, though they differ as to its patriarch, whom some say will have to be Sir Alan Gowers, said to be sheriff of that county at the time of the Norman Conquest, while others with greater probability assert that it descended from on Guhyer, whose son, called William Fitz-Guher of Stittenham, was charged with a mark for his lands in the sheriff's account in 1167." 3

It is generally agreed that Gower the Poet was from the Stittenham stock. 3 Today Stittenham is a township in the parish of Sheriff with as few as 92 inhabitants in the late 1800s. 2

The Gower spelling was generally adopted about the time of Edward I, but early records show the wide variety of spellings in use at that time. By example, "Adelard de Guer witnessed a charter of Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, 1136; from which family Roger de Guer held a fief in 1165 when Hugh de Goher held a fee from the Earl of Warwick. William Guhier obtained a pardon in Oxford 1158 being also of Essex, for after 1152 the Abbey of Tilteney, Essex, acquired lands of the fief of William Goer. This William Guhier or Goer was Lord of Stittenham in Yorkshire, and was dead A.D. 1200. "4

Early History of the Gower family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gower research. Another 269 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1130, 1195, 1198, 1325, 1347, 1365, 1408, 1543, 1575, 1577, 1585, 1638, 1700 and 1711 are included under the topic Early Gower History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gower Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Gower has been recorded under many different variations, including Gower, Gowers, Gowar, Gowars, Goward, Gore, Goher, Gurr, Goer and many more.

Early Notables of the Gower family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Henry Gower, (d. 1347), Bishop of St. David's and "was sprung from a noble family who settled probably in the English-speaking peninsula of Gower, not far from Swansea." 5
John Gower (1325?-1408), was an English poet and acquired the Lordship of Aldington, Kent in 1365. He was probably nephew and heir-male of Sir Robert Gower of Kent, remembered mainly for three long po...
Sir Thomas Gower (1543-1577), the son of Sir Edward Gower, was a knight of Stittenham, Yorkshire, and Marshal of Berwick. 5
George Gower (fl. 1575-1585), was a sergeant-painter and grandson of Sir John Gower of Stittenham, who married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward Goldsborough, and who was the ancestor of the present d...
Humphrey Gower (1638-1711), the son of Stanley Gower, was the master of St. John's College in Cambridge. 5

Gower Ranking

In the United States, the name Gower is the 4,800^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6 However, in New Zealand, the name Gower is ranked the 996^th most popular surname with an estimated 758 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Gower family to Ireland

Some of the Gower family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gower migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Gowers were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Gower Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Gower, who settled in Virginia in 1606
Richard Gower, who settled in Virginia in 1637
Nicholas Gower, who settled in Virginia in 1638
John Gower, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 8
Edward Gower, who settled in Virginia in 1655
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gower Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Letitia Gower, who landed in Virginia in 1725 8
Mary Gower, who arrived in Virginia in 1725 8
Abel Gower, who landed in Virginia in 1725 8
Philip Gower, who settled in America in 1754
Nicholas Gower, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1761
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gower Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Gower, who landed in New York in 1835 8
Stephen S Gower, who arrived in New York, NY in 1836 8
Jesse Gower, who landed in New York in 1839 8
Elizabeth Gower, who arrived in New York in 1839 8
Mr. Gower, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8

Gower migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gower Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Gower, who settled in Greenspond, Newfoundland in 1871 9

Gower migration to Australia +

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

Gower Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Gower a gardener, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Winchester" in 1838 10
Mary Ann Gower, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Winchester" in 1838 10
John William Gower, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11
Ann Gower, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 12
Sarah Gower, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gower migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gower Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Gower, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
John Gower, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
J. W. Gower, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Midlothian" in 1859
Joseph Gower, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
Susannah Gower, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gower (post 1700) +

Steve Gower (1965-2021), better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, an United States professional wrestler and trainer
Thomas C. Gower, American politician, Mayor of Greenville, South Carolina, 1870-71 13
Romulus H. Gower, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Johnston County, 1891-92, 1905-06 13
Robert Gower, American politician, Delegate to Iowa State Constitutional Convention 22nd District, 1857 13
John C. Gower (b. 1941), American Republican politician, Brown County District Attorney, 1967-71; Member of Wisconsin State Assembly 4th District; Elected 1972, 1974 13
James H. Gower, American politician, Delegate to Iowa State Constitutional Convention from Cedar County, 1844 13
Cornelius A. Gower (1845-1932), American Republican politician, Michigan superintendent of public instruction, 1878-81; Appointed 1878 13
Constant W. Gower, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartland; Elected 1904, 1930 13
Foote Gower (1726-1780), English antiquary, son of the Rev. Foote Gower, M.A. and M.D., a physician at Chester, born at Chester about 1726 14
Andrew Gower (b. 1989), English actor, best known for his role in the BBC Three supernatural drama Being Human
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Gower Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Frangas non flectes
Motto Translation: Thou may'st break, but shalt not bend me.

Citations +

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WINCHESTER 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Winchester.htm
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Hooghly.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020