Pews History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Welsh name Pews is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Hugh. The original Welsh form of this forename was Huw, but the English form of the name was adopted by the upper-class Welsh during the 17th century. The surname Pews was originally ap-Hugh: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ap," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time.

Early Origins of the Pews family

The surname Pews was first found in Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), located in mid-Eastern Wales, one of thirteen historic counties, and anciently the medieval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Pews family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pews research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1610, 1656, 1678, 1679, 1686, 1709, 1718, 1721, 1758, 1760, 1765, 1766 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Pews History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pews Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Pews have included Pugh, Pew and others.

Early Notables of the Pews family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Robert Pugh (1610-1679), a Welsh Jesuit priest and controversialist. Ellis Pugh (1656-1718) was a Welsh Quaker, born in the parish of Dolgelly in June 1656. In 1686 he and his family sailed for the Quaker settlement in Pennsylvania. They had a stormy passage, and were detained for six months at Barbados. In 1721 there was published at Philadelphia a tract by him entitled "Annerch i'r Cymry" ("Address to the Welsh People"), which was probably the first Welsh book printed...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pews Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pews family to Ireland

Some of the Pews family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 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 Pews family

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Pews: James Pugh settled in Virginia in 1654; Anne Pugh settled with her husband in Virginia in 1701; Mary and Sarah Pugh arrived in Virginia in 1741; David Pugh arrived in Virginia in 1608.

The Pews 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: Sic itur ad astra
Motto Translation: Such is the way to immortality.