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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2012
Prior Family Crest
Prior Family Crest
Prior

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Contents

Where did the English Prior family come from? What is the English Prior family crest and coat of arms? When did the Prior family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the Prior family history?

The name Prior reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Prior family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Prior is a name for a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot having derived from the Old English word prior, meaning superior, and indicates that the original bearer of the name held this position.

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Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Prior, Pryor and others.

First found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.


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This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prior research. Another 207 words(15 lines of text) covering the years 1125, 1664, and 1721 are included under the topic Early Prior History in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Another 34 words(2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prior Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Some of the Prior family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 169 words(12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products.

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Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Prior or a variant listed above:

Prior Settlers in the United States in the 17th Century


  • Thomas Prior who settled in New England in 1630
  • John Prior settled in Boston in 1635
  • Margaret Prior, who settled in Virginia in 1637 with her husband
  • Margarett Prior, who landed in Virginia in 1637
  • Matthew Prior, who landed in Long Island in 1665


Prior Settlers in the United States in the 19th Century


  • Ramon Prior, aged 19, landed in New Orleans, La in 1835
  • William Prior, aged 32, landed in America in 1843
  • James Prior, who landed in Washington County, Pa in 1847
  • Cornelius W Prior, who landed in Washington County, Pa in 1847
  • Patrick Prior, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1853


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  • Mark Prior (b. 1980), American baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
  • Matthew Prior (b. 1982), English cricketer
  • Spencer Prior (b. 1971), English footballer
  • David Gifford Leathes Prior (b. 1954), English politician, Member of the UK Parliament
  • Herbert Prior (1867-1954), English, pioneering screen actor
  • Alex Prior (b. 1992), Russian child prodigy composer
  • Arthur Prior (1914-1969), New Zealand philosopher and logician of the early 20th century
  • James Prior (b. 1927), British Politician, Member of the UK Parliament, made life peer Baron Prior of Brampton, Suffolk, in 1987
  • Edward Gawler Prior (1853-1920), English, mining engineer, and politician, member of the Canadian House of Commons
  • The Venerable Christopher Prior (1912-2004), English (Canadian born), Naval chaplain, Archdeacon of Portsmouth (1969-1977)

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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: Speriamo
Motto Translation: We hope

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  1. Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
  2. Hanks, Hodges, Mills and Room. The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7).
  3. Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
  4. Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
  5. Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
  6. Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
  7. Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
  8. Papworth, J.W and A.W Morant. Ordinary of British Armorials. London: T.Richards, 1874. Print.
  9. Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
  10. Library of Congress. American and English Genealogies in the Library of Congress. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. Print.
  11. ...

The Prior Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Prior Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 12 May 2012 at 14:51.

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