Horner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient name of Horner finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a person who carved objects out of horn or made musical instruments. "In London the horners and bottle-makers form one Company. Horn was anciently applied to many uses for which glass and other materials are at present employed." 1

Early Origins of the Horner family

The surname Horner was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very early times, some say long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. However, we must look to Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire) for the first listing of the family. For it is there, that Matilda le Homere, was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. A few years later in 1303, Richard le Homer was listed in the Writs of Parliament.

Later again in 1379, The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls listed Johannes Homer and Ricardus Hornar. 2

One source notes: "Horner is a characteristic Yorkshire name. The Horners, a family of York merchants in the 17th century, on three occasions held the office of lord mayor of that city." 3

Mention should now be made of Jack Horner of the nursery rhyme fame. Some people claim that he was a historical figure, the steward of Richard Whiting (1461-1539), the last abbot of Glastonbury. As the story goes, during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, the abbot is said to have sent his steward to the king with a gift - a pie containing the deeds of some manor houses, one of which Horner extracted. While this story cannot be fully confirmed, it is true that a Thomas Horner did take over the manor of Mells after the dissolution and his family have lived there since.

Early History of the Horner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Horner research. Another 222 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1544, 1551, 1570, 1589, 1605, 1645, 1646, 1660, 1677, 1680, 1681, 1687, 1696, 1707, 1713, 1727, 1817 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Horner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Horner Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Horner family name include Horner, Hornere, Horners and others.

Early Notables of the Horner family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir George Horner (1605-1677), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1660

Horner Ranking

In the United States, the name Horner is the 1,551^st most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 4 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Horner is ranked the 913^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,544 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Horner family to Ireland

Some of the Horner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Horner migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Horner surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Horner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Horner, who settled in Virginia in 1623
James and Roger Horner, who settled in Virginia in 1638
Roger Horner, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 6
Luke Horner, who arrived in Maryland in 1649-1662 6
Richard Horner, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Horner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Katherine Horner, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 6
Solomon Horner, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1720 6
Casper Horner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 6
Jacob Horner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 6
Johann Christian Horner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Horner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Horner, who landed in New York in 1824 6
Henry Horner, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6
James W Horner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 6
Thomas Horner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 6
Charles Horner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Horner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Horner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Horner U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 7
Mr. Isaac Horner U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 7
Mr. John Horner U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 7
Mrs. Lydia Horner U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 7

Horner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

David Horner, who arrived in Canada in 1834
Emmanuel Horner, who arrived in Canada in 1834
Daniel Horner, who landed in Canada in 1836
Mr. Samuel Horner, aged 19 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle In June 1847 8
Mr. William Horner, aged 45 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Rose" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle In June 1847 8

Horner migration to Australia +

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

Horner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Horner, (b. 1773), aged 30, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years for deception, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1816 9
Mr. James Horner, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Henry Horner, (Cooper), English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
John Horner, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Canton" in 1846 12
Mr. Thomas Horner, (b. 1826), aged 26, English nail maker who was convicted in Leeds, Yorkshire, England for 10 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dudbrook" on 17th November 1852, arriving in Western Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Horner 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:

Horner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

D. Horner, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lord Burleigh" in 1856
Mr. R. Horner, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Siberia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st February 1870 14
Rev. W. Horner, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 20th September 1872 15
Mrs. Horner, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 20th September 1872 15
John P. Horner, aged 24, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Horner 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. 16

Horner Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Thomas Horner, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife, two children, and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Horner (post 1700) +

Maxine Edwyna Cissel Horner (1933-2021), the first African American women to serve in the Oklahoma State Senate, serving from 1986 to 2004
James Roy Horner (1953-2015), American two-time Academy Award, two-time Golden Globe Award, three-time Satellite Award winning composer, conductor, and orchestrator of film scores, best known for his score for Titanic, the best selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time
John "Jack" R. Horner (b. 1946), American paleontologist who discovered and named Maiasaura, technical advisor for all of the Jurassic Park films
Jack B. Horner (1922-2009), American politician, former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Chris Horner (b. 1971), American bicyclist for UCI ProTour team Team RadioShack
Staff Sergeant Freeman V Horner, American officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
Edward Horner (1888-1917), the only surviving son and heir of Sir John and Lady Frances Horner of Mells Manor but he died from wounds in the First World War; the Equestrian statue of Edward Horner in Mells, Somerset was erected in his honour
Christian Edward Johnston Horner CBE (b. 1973), British former racing driver and current Team Principal of the Red Bull Formula One team
William George Horner (1786-1837), British mathematician, eponym of the Horner scheme, son of the Rev. William Horner, a Wesleyan minister 17
Leonard Horner (1785-1864), Scottish geologist and educational reformer, brother of Francis Horner [q. v.], born in Edinburgh, 17 Jan. 1785, and was educated at the Edinburgh High School under Dr. Adam. Brougham 17
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Horner family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Robert Horner, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
Mrs. W. Horner (1896-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
Mr. Edward Horner (1898-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18

HMS Hood

Mr. Leslie Horner (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

The Horner 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: Nitor in adversum
Motto Translation: I contend against adversity.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 34)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CANTON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Canton.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dudbrook
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 4 August 2020
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm