Perse History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Perse is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name for the son of Peter. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. Early Origins of the Perse familyThe surname Perse was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the family was listed with an early spelling of the name: Richard Perys, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) The same rolls included Robert Peres; Ralph Peres; and Adam Peres. 1 Some of the family were also found in Cornwall. "The barton house of Davidstowe, [in the parish of Davistow, Cornwall] which is now inhabited by labourers, and Trehane, now occupied by a farmer, were originally seats of the Pearse family, from whom, together with their estates, they passed in marriage to John Nicholls, Esq. Since that time Davidstowe has again returned to the Pearse family; and, together with the great tithes, is now the property of William Pearse, Esq.. whose residence is at Holwell." 2 Early History of the Perse familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perse research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1520, 1548, 1603, 1612, 1615, 1622, 1625, 1629, 1630, 1645, 1661, 1667, 1674, 1690, 1691, 1694, 1697, 1699, 1714, 1719, 1726, 1772, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Perse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Perse Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Perse has undergone many spelling variations, including Pearce, Pierce, Pierse, Pearse, Pears, Peerce, Peers, Peirse and many more. Early Notables of the Perse familyDistinguished members of the family include
Migration of the Perse family to IrelandSome of the Perse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Perse were among those contributors: Perse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
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