Fishers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Fishers arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who worked as a fisherman. Looking back even further, we found the name was originally derived from the Old English word fischer. 1

"This seems to be a sufficiently obvious derivation from the calling of a fisherman, especially since ' fisher ' occurs in our version of the New Testament in this sense; and Leland in his Itinerary usually describes the smaller sea-coast places as "fischar tounes." In Domesday [Book] and other early records, we meet with the forms Piscator, Le Pecheur, etc." 2

"In the time of King Stephen the family of Fitz-Urse (a name which in after days degenerated into Fitzour, Fyshour, and Fisher) became possessed of the great manor of Williton; they had their descent from that Urso, or Ursus, who in the time of William the Conqueror held lands in Grittleton, and other parts of Wiltshire, of the Abbey of Glastonbury. The first of the name who enjoyed this manor was Richard Fitz Urse, who died about 14 Hen. II., leaving issue three sons ; Sir Reginald, Sir Robert, and Walter. Sir Reginald, the eldest, had his residence at Williton, in a house which he afterwards gave to his brother Robert, with a moiety of this manor. This Sir Reginald was among the courtiers standing in the presence chamber at Bur, near Bayeux, a few days before Christmas 1170, when the King gave audience to the three prelates that had been excommunicated by Thomas a Beckett, and came to lay their complaint before him." 3

Early Origins of the Fishers family

The surname Fishers was first found in Essex, where Richard le Fischer was listed in the Feet of Fines in 1263. Years later, Ralph de Fisshar’ was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4

In early records the name was often listed in Latin as "piscator" as seen by this record found in Scotland: Robert dominus Piscator, burgess of Perth, 1292. The Latin version quickly deferred to a more English version when "Michael Fysser who appears in record in 1344 as bailie of Perth is probably the Michaele Fisser recorded in 1338. " 5

Early History of the Fishers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fishers research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1488, 1513, 1514, 1603, 1605, 1613, 1616, 1623, 1655, 1661, 1665, 1683, 1693, 1698, 1702, 1705, 1826, 1827, 1890 and 1956 are included under the topic Early Fishers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fishers Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Fisher, Fischer and others.

Early Notables of the Fishers family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Fisher; Sir Robert Fisher, 1st Baronet of Great Packington, Warwickshire; and his son, Sir Clement Fisher, 2nd Baronet (1613-1683), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Coventry (1661); Samuel Fisher (1605-1665) was an English Quaker controversialist from Northampton; Payne Fisher (1616-1693), an English...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fishers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fishers family to Ireland

Some of the Fishers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fishers family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Fishers or a variant listed above: Edward Fisher who settled in Virginia in 1623; Gabriel Fisher settled in Virginia in 1635; Henry Fisher settled in Virginia in 1623 with his wife and children.

The Fishers 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: Respice finem
Motto Translation: Regard the end.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)