Spies History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Spies came to England with the ancestors of the Spies family in the Norman Conquest in 1066. The surname Spies is for a grocer which was in turn derived from the Old French word espice, of the same meaning. 1 2 "What we now call a grocer, because, inter alia, he deals in figs (grossi), the French call an epicier, or spicer, because he sells spices." 3 Early Origins of the Spies familyThe surname Spies was first found in Devon where conjecturally the Spicers were under tenants of the Count of Mortain at the time of the Norman Conquest. Benedict le Spicer was listed in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, at the time of King John. 4 Some of the first entries in early rolls for the family include: William le Espicer in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1184; Bertram le Specier in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire and in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1201; and Hugo le Especer in the Curia Regis Rolls for Cambridge in 1214. 5 Later, the singular form of the name appeared: William Spice in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1326; and Clement Spice in the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire in 1399. 5 A search of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 revealed: Simon le Spicere, Cambridgeshire; William le Spicere, Oxfordshire; and William Speciar, Lincolnshire. Up in the north of England, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 show the name as both a trade name and a surname: Adam Spisar, spicer; and Giliaum Spyser, 1379. 6 Continuing our quest north into Scotland, the name had the same meaning "spicer, dealer in spices," and two early entries, both as a result of the invasion of King Edward I of England: "Rauf le Spicer rendered homage, 1296, and Eustace Lespicer and Martin Lespicer rendered homage at Berwick, 1291." 7 Early History of the Spies familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spies research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1296, 1743, 1765, 1773, 1774, 1777, 1783, 1792 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Spies History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Spies Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Spicer, Spicers, Spice and others. Early Notables of the Spies familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Spicer (1743?-1804), English miniature-painter, born at Reepham, Norfolk, about 1743, and became a pupil of Gervase Spencer. He worked both on ivory and in enamel, and was one of the ablest miniaturists of the period. He was a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists, and exhibited with them from 1765 to 1783; in 1773 he was secretary to the society. He exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy in 1774... Spies RankingIn the United States, the name Spies is the 8,239th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8 Migration of the Spies family to IrelandSome of the Spies 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.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Spies or a variant listed above were: Spies Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Spies Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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