Gregery Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Gregery comes from the personal name Gregory.1

Gregory the Great (d. 889), Grig, king of Scotland, "was the seventy-third king according to the fictitious chronology of Fordoun and Buchanan, but according to Skene's rectified list, the fifth king of the united kingdom of Scone, which Kenneth MacAlpine founded in 844. " 2

Gregory of Caergwent or Winchester (fl. 1270), was an English historian who entered the monastery of St. Peter's at Gloucester, according to his own account, on 29 Oct. 1237, and is stated to have lived there for sixty years. 2

Gregory of Huntingdon (fl. 1290), was an English "monk of Ramsey, of which abbey he is said to have been prior for thirty-eight years, is described as a man of much learning, acquainted with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. " 2

Early Origins of the Gregery family

The surname Gregery was first found in Leicestershire where "this family is traced to John Gregory, Lord of the manors of Freseley and Asfordby, who married Maud, daughter of Sir Roger Moton, of Peckelton, knight; his son Richard Gregory, of the same places, died in the year 1292. " 3

Another source confirms this origin in that Willelmus filius Gregorii was listed in Leicestershire 1143-1177. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included a listing for Peter Gregory in Bedfordshire; Elyas filius Gregor, Cambridgeshire; Peter Gregory, Bedfordshire; and Richard filius Gregorii, Buckinghamshire. 5

Later the Assize Rolls for Somerset listed John Grigory there in 1280. John Gregory held land in Sussex, according to the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 4

"Derbyshire is the great home of the Gregorys, who, however, are also established in different parts of the country, Northamptonshire ranking next to Derbyshire in this respect, but they are rare or absent in the east of England and in the northernmost counties. In Derbyshire they have been established for many centuries; the Eyam family of Gregory carry their descent back to the times of Edward II. A Warwickshire family of the name begin their pedigree with John Gregory, lord of the manors of Fresely and Asfordby, Leicestershire, in the 13th century; and about that time the name was also to be found in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire." 6

Up in Scotland, "several early Scots bishops bore this name, appropriate for the overseer of a church. Gregorius Duncheldensis, episcopus, c. 1150; Gregorius episcopus de Ros, 1171-84; Gregorius Moraviensis episcopus, 1150." 7

Furthermore in Scotland, the name "may be derived from Gregor, as some of the Clan M'Gregor changed their name to Gregory, when the Clan was proscribed and outlawed." 8

Early History of the Gregery family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gregery research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1451, 1569, 1598, 1625, 1633, 1638, 1646, 1651, 1652, 1664, 1675, 1677, 1678, 1691, 1696, 1720 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gregery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gregery Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Gregery were recorded, including Gregory, Gregorie, Gregorey and others.

Early Notables of the Gregery family

Notables of the family at this time include Charles Gregory, Lord Mayor of London in 1451; Sir William Gregory (1625-1696), a British judge and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1678, he purchased the manor and estate of How Caple, Herefordshire in 1677; Edmund Gregory (fl. 1646, died 1691), was an English author...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gregery Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gregery family to Ireland

Some of the Gregery family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gregery family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Gregery family emigrate to North America: Alexander, Ben and Thomas Gregorie who settled in Virginia in 1635; Charles Gregory settled in Virginia in 1652; along with Francis, George, James, Joseph, Thomas, all of whom settled at that same time in Virginia.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print