| ![Show Contents]() Seear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Seear is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Seear family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to Serez, Normandy or at the Ville of Sayers, Normandy according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 1 Alternatively, two sources claims the name was derived from an Anglo-Norman "personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester" or was perhaps "a forgotten personal name that has left an indelible mark on our directories. From twenty to twenty-five surnames separately spelt are the offspring, and many have a large number of representatives. The name was popular so early as Domesday as Segar and Sigar, and Latinized as Sigarus. " 2 One source believes the family was "an assayer of metals. 'When Domesday was compiled, there was always a fire ready in the Exchequer, and if they liked not the allay of the money, they burnt it, and then weighed it.' Hence the expression in Domesday, ' Lib. LVI arsas et pensatas'-56lb. burnt and weighed.-Kelham's Domesday, p. 157. The Sayer would therefore be a crown officer who assayed the precious metals." 3 Early Origins of the Seear familyThe surname Seear was first found in Essex where "the name of an old Colchester family of wealth and municipal consequence, " 4 some say from the reign of King Edmund Ironside in 1016, but this date conflicts with the more likely source of Serez, in the arrondisement of Evreux in Normandy, supporting the contention that the family was granted these lands after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "During the 14th century the Sayer family of Coppeford held of the King 82 acres of land in the village of Lachingdon." 4 They held a family seat there continuously from the Conquest to 1770. "As Sayer and Sayere it occurred in Norfolk, Beds, and Hants in the 13th century. The Sayers of Pulham, Norfolk, an ancient family, from which the Sayers of Eye, Suffolk, are derived, were lords of the manor of Pulham in the 17th and 18th centuries." 4 Early History of the Seear familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seear research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1630 is included under the topic Early Seear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Seear Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Sears, Seares, Seers, Seeres, Sear, Seare, Seer and many more. Early Notables of the Seear familyMore information is included under the topic Early Seear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Seear family to Ireland
Some of the Seear 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.
| Seear migration to the United States | + |
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Seear or a variant listed above:
Seear Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Milton Bernard Seear, aged 20, who arrived in America, in 1912
- Edwin Charles Seear, aged 33, who arrived in America from Walthamstown, England, in 1919
- Arthur Seear, who arrived in America from Southsea, England, in 1920
- Alfred Seear, aged 35, who arrived in America from Southampton, England, in 1922
| Seear 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: Seear Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- William James Seear, aged 25, a carpenter, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- Susan Seear, aged 25, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
- Mr. W. Seear, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 17th March 1841 5
- William Seear, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
| Contemporary Notables of the name Seear (post 1700) | + |
- Gary Alan Seear (1952-2018), New Zealand rugby union player who played for various New Zealand National Teams (1972-1979)
- Maxine Seear (b. 1984), South African-born, Australian Olympic triathlon competitor at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Gary Alan Seear (b. 1952), New Zealand former All Black number eight who played from 1971 to 1979
- Renata "Noot" Seear (b. 1983), Canadian fashion model and actress
- Beatrice Nancy Seear PC (1913-1997), Baroness Seear, a British social scientist and politician
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: Honor et fides
Motto Translation: Honor and fidelity.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- 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.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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Seear migration to the United States 
Seear migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
