The ancestors of the Measure family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Measure is for a person employed in reaping or harvesting. The name can be traced to the Old French word messier, which meant harvester.
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Early Origins of the Measure family
The surname Measure was first found in Lincolnshire where they were one of the noted families of the area. Roger Messer was the first on record in Lincolnshire, in 1172, a little over a century after the Conquest. In 1180 Erkenbald Messer was recorded in the same county. At about the same time Jacobus Mesoart was registered in Normandy. Early in their history a branch of this family moved to Scotland.
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Early History of the Measure family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Measure research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1296 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Measure History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Measure Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Measure have been found, including Messer, Mesher, Messor, Mersser, Masar, Messier, Meisser, Measure and many more.
Early Notables of the Measure family
More information is included under the topic Early Measure Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Measure family
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Measure were among those contributors: James Messer arrived in Virginia in 1653; Sylvester Messer arrived in America from England in 1701 with his wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters; Carolina Messer arrived in Quebec in 1850.
England
