| ![Show Contents]() Gayheart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Gayheart familyThe surname Gayheart was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire. Early History of the Gayheart familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gayheart research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510, 1538, 1593, 1600, 1646, 1649, 1694, 1704 and 1711 are included under the topic Early Gayheart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gayheart Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Gayheart has appeared include Gayre, Gair, Gayer, Gayar, Geyre, Geyer, Gere, Gear and many more. Early Notables of the Gayheart familyDistinguished members of the family include Sir John Gayer or Gayre (died 1649), English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1646. "He belonged to a family originally seated at Liskeard, but afterwards at Trenbrace, in the parish of St. Keverne, Cornwall, was the...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gayheart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gayheart familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Gayheart arrived in North America very early: Francis Gayer, who came to Virginia in 1635; Sampson Gayer, who arrived in Virginia in 1706; as well as Andrew Gayer, a bonded passenger who arrived in Virginia in 1718..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gayheart (post 1700) | + |
- James E. Gayheart, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky State Senate 29th District, 1975 1
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