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![Show Contents]() Villere Surname History
Villere is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Villere family lived in Villiers, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "The family are said to have come into England with the Conqueror, which is probable. There are at present six places in Normandy so called, besides a larger number called Villers, one of the numerous ways in which the surname is spelled. The Earl of Jersey's family trace to Alexander de Villiers, lord of Brokesby, co. Lancaster, early in the XIII, century. Sir Richard de Villars was a Crusader under Edward I., and hence the cross and escallop shells in the coat-armour of his descendants." 1 The existing family of Villiers "claim to belong to the race of Villiers in Normandy, from which sprang Pierre de Villiers, Grand Master in the reign of Charles VI., and Jacques de Villiers, Provost of Paris and Mareschal of France in the same period." 2 Early Origins of the Villere familyThe surname Villere was first found in Leicestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Rokesby from the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D. Galderfridus de Villers of St. Evroult, accompanied Duke William into England with his son, Pagan de Villiers, who obtained the barony of Warrington in Lancashire and was also Lord of Crosby in that same shire. Interestingly, "the present coat of arms is said to have been assumed in the reign of Edward I., as a badge of Sir Richard de Villars' services in the crusades." 3 The previous shield was "Sable, three cinquefoils argent." "Michael de Valers was summoned from Gloucester in 1300, for military service in Scotland." 2 Early History of the Villere familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Villere research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1531, 1532, 1537, 1538, 1539, 1544, 1550, 1574, 1591, 1592, 1606, 1620, 1621, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1654, 1656, 1657, 1682, 1687, 1689, 1693, 1711, 1721 and 1907 are included under the topic Early Villere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Villere Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Villers, Villiers, Villieres, Vilers, Viliers, Vilieres, Villars, Villere, Viller, Villier, Villiere, Viler, Vilier, Viliere, Villar, Villere, Devillieres and many more. Early Notables of the Villere familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Villers of Brooksby; and his son, Sir John Villers (1485-1544), of Brooksby Hall, Leicestershire, an English politician, High Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire for 1531-1532 and 1537-1538, Member of the Parliament for Leicestershire in 1539; Sir George Villiers, of Brokesby (1550-1606), member of the English gentry; Sir Edward Villiers (c. 1574-1626), an English diplomat, office-holder and politician who sat in the House of Commons...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Villere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Villere family to Ireland
Some of the Villere family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Villere migration to the United States | + |
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Villere name or one of its variants:
Villere Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Miss Marie Jenne Villere, French settler traveling aboard the ship "La Ville d'Archangel" arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana on 3rd December 1785 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name Villere (post 1700) | + |
- Roger F. Villere Jr., American Republican politician, Florist; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 2004, 2008; Louisiana Republican State Chair, 2008 5
- Margaret H. Villere (b. 1939), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 2004 5
- Charles Jacques Villeré (1828-1899), American politician, Delegate to Louisiana State Constitutional Convention, 1852; Member of Louisiana State Legislature, 1854; Presidential Elector for Louisiana, 1856 5
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- 7 Ships Acadian Expedition of 1785. Retrieved 24th October 2021 from http://www.acadian-cajun.com/7ships.htm
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Villere migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
