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Poore History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Poore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Poore arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Poore family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is a reference to one of two places, Picardy, France, or Puers, Belgium, either of which could have been the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. At this time those who hailed from Picardy were referred to as Pohiers, and it was in this form that the name was probably first brought to England.

Another source notes "Poore was the equivalent not of 'pauper,' but of 'puer' or the Norman 'poer,' a knight or cadet of good family." 1

Early Origins of the Poore family

The surname Poore was first found in Devon. However, some of the family held a family seat at Durrington in Wiltshire since early times. "The church [of Durrington] is an ancient edifice with a pulpit of richly carved oak, and several of the pews are also embellished with carving, particularly the family pew of the Poores, which has a ceiling of oak, with an escutcheon of armorial bearings." 2

Roger le Poer (died 1186), was "one of the conquerors of Ireland, belonged to a family which is said to have derived its name from Poher, one of the ancient divisions of Brittany. In the reign of Henry II, William le Poer held lands in Oxfordshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire, and Robert le Poer in Oxfordshire. Roger, Robert, William, and Simon le Poer are all said to have taken part in the conquest of Ireland." 1

His son Robert le Poer (fl. 1190), was one of the marshals in the court of Henry II.

About the same time, Herbert Poor or Pauper (died 1217), was Bishop of Salisbury, son of Richard of Ilchester and a few years later, his younger brother, Richard Poor, Poore, Poure or Le Poor (died 1237) was Bishop of Chichester, Salisbury, and Durham.

Walter le Poher was found in Lincolnshire in 1162 and later, Hugo le Puhier was listed in the Pipe Rills for Shropshire (Salop) in 1166. Hugo Puher was found in the puipe Rolls for Worcestershire in 1170 and in Northumberland, John le Poer was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1199. In Derbyshire, Roger le Puiher was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1204. 3

"Geoffrey and William Pouere, customary tenants of the Bishop of Ely at Wetheringsett (Suffolk) in 1221 (ElyA) were not likely to be Picards. In London, Henry Puer or Poer (1300 LoCt) was probably of this nationality, but whether Geoffrey le Power (1299 ib.) and John le Poer (1300 ib.) came from Picardy or were nicknamed 'the poor' cannot be determined." 3

Early History of the Poore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poore research. Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1172, 1217, 1237, 1580, 1640, 1702 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Poore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poore Spelling Variations

A 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 Poor, Poher, Poer, Poore and others.

Early Notables of the Poore family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Richard Poore or Poor (died 1237), a medieval English clergyman best known for founding of Salisbury Cathedral...
His brother was Herbert Poore or Poor (died 1217), another English clergyman who held the post of Bishop of Salisbury and Archdeacon of Canterbury...

Poore Ranking

In the United States, the name Poore is the 3,334^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Poore family to Ireland

Some of the Poore family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poore migration to the United States +

Many 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 Poore or a variant listed above:

Poore Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Innocent Poore, who landed in Virginia in 1622 5
John Poore, who arrived in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1635 5
Abram Poore, aged 30, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Speedwell" 5
Alice Poore, aged 20, who landed in New England in 1638 5
Daniel Poore, aged 14, who arrived in New England in 1638 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Poore Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David Poore, who landed in Virginia in 1702 5
Mary Poore, who landed in Virginia in 1703 5
Tho Poore, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 5

Poore Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Poore, who arrived in Virginia in 1884 5
Hy. R. Poore, aged 32, originally from England, arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "City of New York" from Liverpool, England 6
Aloin B Poore, aged 44, arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Furnessia" from Glasgow, Scotland 6
Edith Poore, aged 27, arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Etruria" from Liverpool & Queenstown 6

Poore Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Poore, aged 28, arrived in New York in 1919 from Jucaro, Cuba 6
Henry Poore, aged 58, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Samland" from Anvers, Belgium 6
James Poore, aged 20, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Empress of India" from Southampton, England 6
Frank D. Poore, aged 22, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Black Sea" from Malta 6

Poore migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Poore Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine Poore, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1818

Poore migration to Australia +

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

Poore Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Poore, aged 39, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Magdalena" 7
George Poore, aged 14, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Magdalena" 7

Poore 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:

Poore Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Kate Poore, (b. 1845), aged 17, English domestic servant, from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 8
Arthur Edward Poore, aged 20, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 9
Lucy Madge Poore, aged 16, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 9
Mr. Henry F. Poore, (b. 1851), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 9
George Poore, aged 26, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Poore (post 1700) +

Henry Rankin Poore (1859-1940), American painter, known for his landscape and genre paintings
Don and Jay Poore, American founders of Poore Brothers, a brand of potato chips sold across the Western United States in 1983
Benjamin Perley Poore (1820-1887), prominent American newspaper correspondent, editor, and author
W. E. Poore, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky Railroad Commissioner 1st District, 1975 10
Richard B. Poore, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Belton, South Carolina, 1924-33 (acting, 1924-25) 10
Meshea La'Shawn Poore, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 2008; Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates; Elected 2010, 2012 10
Leland H. Poore, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Cumberland County, 1921-22 10
J. R. Poore, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 1924 10
Floyd G. Poore, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 4th District, 1992 10
Alfred W. Poore, American Republican politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Goffstown, 1956; Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Goffstown; Elected 1956 10
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Poore 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: Pauper non in spe
Motto Translation: Not poor in hope.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
South Australian Register Friday 26th August 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Magdalena 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/magdalena1853.shtml
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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html