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![Show Contents]() Legard Surname History
The name Legard was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from St. Leger. "The St. Legers came from Caen in Normandy (Chron. of Battel Abbey, p. 59), and a family tradition asserts that the patriarch, Robert, was not only present at William's invasion in 1066, but actually supported him with his hand as he quitted the ship! There are six places bearing this name mentioned in the Itin. de la Normandie. Its Latinization is De Sancto." 1 Another source notes that it was a "name of a warlike king of the Saxons in the Nibelungen Lied, which occurs in some local names in Anglo-Saxon charters, as Ludegarsttin and Lutegáreshale, which latter Kemble thinks may be Ludgershall, in Wiltshire." 2 Saint Leodegar (or Leger), known as Leodegar of Poitiers (Latin: Leodegarius; French: Léger; c. 615-679) was a martyred Burgundian Bishop of Autun. Early Origins of the Legard familyThe surname Legard was first found in Kent where Robert St. Leger was granted estates at Ulcombe and became Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. "Ulcombe Place and manor belonged to the family of St. Leger, of whom Sir Robert, of an ancient house in Normandy, is said to have supported the Conqueror with his hand when landing on the Sussex coast. The present edifice, [(church)] which is in the later English style, contains some very old monuments to the St. Legers." 3 He also held estates at Bexhill in Sussex. Early History of the Legard familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Legard research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1441, 1475, 1476, 1483, 1496, 1526, 1535, 1536, 1540, 1544, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1563, 1571, 1572, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1589, 1596, 1600, 1613, 1618, 1619, 1621, 1627, 1631, 1650, 1665, 1678 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Legard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Legard Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more. Early Notables of the Legard familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Sir John Legard, 1st Baronet (1631-1678), of Ganton in Yorkshire, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament
 Migration of the Legard family to Ireland
Some of the Legard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 249 words (18 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 Legard familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Legard or a variant listed above: John St. Ledger settled in Canada in 1841; William St. Leger settled in New Orleans in 1823.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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England
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