Contents [hide]

Squire History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Squire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Squire

What does the name Squire mean?

Squire is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. It is a name for a squire. Looking back even further, we found the name was originally derived from the Old French word escuyer, which indicated someone of the social rank immediately below a knight. 1 2

As by way of confirmation, Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales noted " With hym ther was his sone, a yong Squier."

Another source claim the name was derived from the Old French word "esquirel" or "esquireul," which means "squirrel" in English and presumably eludes to the squirrel on the family Coat of Arms. 3

Early Origins of the Squire family

The surname Squire was first found in Devon where the source Old English Bynames lists Alword se Scuir as living there and holding lands (1100-1130.) Later in Suffolk at Bury St Edmonds, William Scuer was recorded c. 1180 and in Gloucestershire, Richard Lesquier was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1197. In Rutland, records there show Simon Esquier in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1206. Roger le Esquier was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1228 and Roger Squier was listed in Devon in 1293. 3

In Cornwall, "the church of St. Keverne is ornamented with a lofty steeple, which, standing on rising ground, is a conspicuous object at a great distance. Within the church there are memorials of the several families of Bogan, Sandys, and Squier." 4

"Squire is a numerous name in Barnstaple [Devon] and its neighbourhood. The mayors of that town in 1353 and 1471 bore this name." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included listings of John le Squier, Cambridgeshire; and William Squier, Huntingdonshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire listed Thomas Squier; and Agnes Squier as holding lands there at that time. 6

In the New World, the family rose to prominence particularly in Newfoundland, where Sir Richard Squires (1880-1940) was Newfoundland's 6th Prime Minister (1919-1923.) Today, many of the family reside there with both spellings, Squire and Squires.

Early History of the Squire family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Squire research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1387, 1595, 1598, 1677 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Squire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Squire Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Squire, Squair, Skair, Skuyer, Squires and others.

Early Notables of the Squire family

Edward Squire (died 1598), alleged conspirator, "originally followed the calling of a scrivener at Greenwich, where he married and had children. He then obtained a post in Queen Elizabeth's stables, b...
William Squire (died 1677), was and English controversialist, son of a proctor in the archbishop of York's court

Squire Ranking

the United States, the name Squire is the 7,718^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Squire is ranked the 729^th most popular surname with an estimated 59 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Squire family to Ireland

Some of the Squire family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Squire migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Squire or a variant listed above were:

Squire Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Squire, who settled in New England in 1630
Thomas Squire, who landed in New England in 1634 10
Mr. Thomas Squire (c. 1613 - 1663), who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 11
Robert Squire, who landed in Virginia in 1637 10
Robert Squire who settled in Virginia in 1637
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Squire Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Squire, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 10
Edward Squire, who landed in Virginia in 1728 10
Boham Squire, who landed in Georgia in 1733 10

Squire Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Squire, aged 45, who landed in New York in 1812 10
Thomas Squire, who arrived in New York in 1834 10
Samuel Squire, who arrived in New York in 1847 10
John Squire, aged 26, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 10
F Squire, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1849 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Squire migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Third Fleet

Mr. James Squire, (1754 - 1822), aged 33, English settler convicted in Kingston upon Thames, London on 11th April 1785, sentenced for 7 years for stealing animals, transported aboard the ship "Charlotte" leaving on 13th May 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 22nd January 1788 9

Following the Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Squire Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. James Squire, (b. 1754), aged 33, English convict who was convicted in Kingston upon Thames for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Charlotte" on 13th May 1787, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1822 12

Squire Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Squire, (b. 1780), aged 30, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 26th March 1810, sentenced for 7 years, transported aboard the ship "Guildford" in August 1811 to New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Thomas Squire, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Elkanah Squire, (b. 1820), aged 22, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 20th October 1840, sentenced for 7 years for stealing iron from Mr. George Davis at Summercourt Fair, transported aboard the ship "Susan" on 24th April 1842 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 15
John Squire, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 16
Ruth Squire, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Squire migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Squire Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Emma Squire, aged 16, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Mr. Thomas Squire, British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 17
F. E. Squire, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Owen Glendowner" in 1864
Mr. George Squire, (b. 1844), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 17
Mr. George Squire, (b. 1842), aged 26, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th February 1869 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Squire (post 1700) +

Watson Carvosso Squire (1838-1926), American Republican politician, Governor of Washington Territory, 1884-87; U.S. Senator from Washington, 1889-97 18
S. Dodge Squire, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Mason County, 1916 19
Russell Squire, American politician, Mayor of Waterville, Maine, 1948-51 19
Richard Squire, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 5th District, 1982 19
Paul C. Squire, American politician, U.S. Consul in Lille, 1924-26; Windsor, 1929; Kingston, 1932; Monaco, 1938; Geneva, 1943; U.S. Consul General in Buenos Aires, 1945-47 19
John P. Squire, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Port-au-Prince, 1943 19
Justus Squire, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Greene County, 1816-17 19
Guy O. Squire, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Alhambra, California, 1924-25 19
George A. Squire, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Union County, 1898-99 19
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Squire family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. J C Squire, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 19
Mr. B Squire, British Yeo of Sigs, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 20
Mr. Albert Victor Squire, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Exeter 20

The Squire 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: Tiens ferme
Motto Translation: Hold firm.

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charlotte
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCESS ROYAL 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848PrincessRoyal.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html