Abshere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The name Abshere is a "metonymic for a maker of habergeons, sleeveless coats or jackets of mail or scale armour, worn also as a rough garment for penance," derived from the Middle English or Old French word "haubergeon", a diminutive of hauberc. 1

Early Origins of the Abshere family

The surname Abshere was first found in Lancashire where Matthew Habercham held estates in the shire in 1269. Later, Edmund Habirgent was listed in Norfolk in 1416 and Edward Haberjon was found in Sheffield in 1565. "Habershon and Habbijam are both still found in Sheffield, the latter being a direct descendant of the 1565 Haberjon." 1

The Habershams of Beverley, Yorkshire were the progenitors of the famed James Habersham (1712-1775), the English-born American merchant, planter, missionary, teacher and politician in Savannah, Georgia.

Early History of the Abshere family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abshere research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1592, 1712, 1735, 1738, 1751, 1775, 1795, 1801 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Abshere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abshere Spelling Variations

Only 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 Abshere has undergone many spelling variations, including Habercham, Habersham, Haberjiam, Haberiam, Habberiam, Habberjam, Habbersham, Habbercham, Habberjiam, Habergham, Hebbergham, Habbershon, Habbijam, Habershon, Habbershon, Habberham, Haberham, Habbishaw, Habbeshaw and many more.

Early Notables of the Abshere family

Distinguished members of the family include Joseph Habersham (1751-1815) was an American businessman, Georgia politician, soldier in the Continental Army, and 6th Postmaster General of the United States (1795-1801,) eponym of Habersham, Georgia, son of James Habersham.James Habersham (1712-1775) was an English-born American merchant, planter, missionary, teacher and politician who lived the majority of his life in the Province of Georgia. He is credited with opening the first direct trade between Savannah, Georgia, and London...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abshere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abshere migration to the United States +

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 Abshere were among those contributors:

Abshere Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lewis Abshere, who landed in Virginia in 1637 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)