Contents [hide]

Peers History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Peers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the name Peers are with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Peter. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Peers family

The surname Peers was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the family was listed with an early spelling of the name: Richard Perys, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) The same rolls included Robert Peres; Ralph Peres; and Adam Peres. 1

Some of the family were also found in Cornwall. "The barton house of Davidstowe, [in the parish of Davistow, Cornwall] which is now inhabited by labourers, and Trehane, now occupied by a farmer, were originally seats of the Pearse family, from whom, together with their estates, they passed in marriage to John Nicholls, Esq. Since that time Davidstowe has again returned to the Pearse family; and, together with the great tithes, is now the property of William Pearse, Esq.. whose residence is at Holwell." 2

Early History of the Peers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peers research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1520, 1548, 1603, 1612, 1615, 1622, 1625, 1629, 1630, 1645, 1661, 1667, 1674, 1690, 1691, 1694, 1697, 1699, 1714, 1719, 1726, 1772, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Peers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peers Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Peers has been spelled many different ways, including Pearce, Pierce, Pierse, Pearse, Pears, Peerce, Peers, Peirse and many more.

Early Notables of the Peers family

Distinguished members of the family include William Peeris (fl. 1520), English chronicler, clerk in holy orders and secretary to Henry Algernon Percy, fifth earl of Northumberland.Stephen Perse (1548-1615), was founder of the Perse Grammar School at Cambridge and Fellow of Cambridge College.Sir Edmund Peirce or Pierse (died 1667), of Greenwich, Kent and Holborn, Middlesex, was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Maidstone 1661 to 1667...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peers family to Ireland

Some of the Peers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 201 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peers migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Peerss to arrive in North America:

Peers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jan Peers, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1650 3
Magdalena Jansen Peers, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1650 3
Richard Peers, who landed in Maryland in 1676 3
John Peers, who landed in Maryland in 1676 3

Peers migration to Australia +

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

Peers Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Peter Peers, (b. 1793), aged 23, English clerk who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1817 4
Henry Simms Peers, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. George Peers, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died aboard the ship in 1828 6
Mr. Benjamin Peers, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 28th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Roger Peers, English convict who was convicted in Kirkdale, Liverpool, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 8

Peers 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:

Peers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Peers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Sarah Peers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Miss Alice S Peers, (b. 1855), aged 24, Scottish cook, from Edinburgh travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 28th August 1879 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Peers (post 1700) +

William R. Peers (1914-1984), United States Army General, known for presiding over the Peers Commission investigation into the My Lai massacre and other similar war crimes during the Vietnam War
Robert A. Peers, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1936, 1940 10
Kerry Peers (b. 1964), English actress, best known for her role as Suzi Croft in The Bill 1993 to 1998
Edgar Allison Peers (1891-1952), known by his pseudonym Bruce Truscot, an English Hispanist and educationist
Frank Wayne Peers (1918-2016), Canadian political scientist and historian
Edward John "Teddy" Peers (1886-1935), Wales international football goalkeeper
Michael Geoffrey Peers (b. 1934), Canadian Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada from 1986 to 2004
Gavin Peers (b. 1985), Irish footballer from Dublin
Donald Rhys Hubert Peers (1908-1973), Welsh singer, best known for his signature song "In a Shady Nook by a Babbling Brook"
James Peers Dill (1859-1937), Canadian politician

Citations +

Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia. Retrieved 25th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emerald-isle
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html