Paker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Paker is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Paker family when they migrated with the great wave that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. Paker is a name for a wool packer having derived from the Old English word packe. 1 Another source claims that the name was derived for a "person 'employed in barrelling or packing up herrings.' In London, the occupation of the 'packer-and-presser' is a well-known and lucrative one." 2

Early Origins of the Paker family

The surname Paker was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times where they were Lords of the manor of Bucklebury. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, this manor was held by a Norman noble, Hugolin the Steersman, and consisted of a mill and a church, and the church still has Norman carvings. Conjecturally the Packers descend from this noble.

Not withstanding the Berkshire reference, the first record of the family was found in Bedfordshire. Walter le Packere was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Later, the Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum listed Mathew le Packere. 1

Early History of the Paker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paker research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1618, 1645, 1648, 1661, 1682 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Paker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paker Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Paker include Packere, Packer, Packers, Packar, Packars, Packare, Pacher and many more.

Early Notables of the Paker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Packer of Shellingford Manor, Berkshire, Clerk of the Privy Seal; and his son, Robert Packer (1614-1682), an English politician, Member of...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Paker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paker 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:

Paker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Paker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Morning Star" in 1861
Emma Paker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Morning Star" in 1861
John Paker, aged 42, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 3
Elizabeth Paker, aged 46, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 3
Mary Paker, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html