Chawcers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Chawcers family

The surname Chawcers was first found in Kent.

"The family of Chaucer, Chaucier, Chaucers, or Chasur had been seated in the Eastern Counties, and some members were in trade in London. Richard le Chaucer was of London, 1328; John Chaucer in 1349 (Riley, Liber Albus, 438; Nicholas, Life of Chaucer, 94). The poet was probably kinsman of Bartholomew Chaucer, who possessed estates in Cambridge, Hunts, Herts, and Essex, 1312. In 1295 Gerard le Chaucer was of Colchester, Essex, and 1274 Alice de Chasar occurs as a tenant of the See of Ely in Cambridgeshire . In 1225 Ralph le Chauser is mentioned." 1

"This surname is derived from an occupation. 'le chaucer,' a maker of chausses, i.e. leathern breeches; Latin, caleearius. Chaucer's grandfather was connected with Ipswich." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include Roger Calcwere, Norfolk.

Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey.

"Much of the obscurity that once involved Chaucer's parentage has been dispelled by the industry of Sir Harris Nicolas, Dr. Furnivall, land others. He was the son of a London vintner. " 3

Early History of the Chawcers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chawcers research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1328, 1350, 1367, 1369, 1372, 1389, 1390, 1399, 1400, 1405, 1407, 1409, 1411, 1413, 1414, 1421, 1422, 1425, 1427, 1429, 1430, 1434, 1437, 1447, 1513 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Chawcers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chawcers Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Chawcers family name include Chaucer, Chawcer, Chawcers and others.

Early Notables of the Chawcers family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Chaucer (c. 1367-1434), Speaker of the House of Commons, in all likelihood elder son of Geoffrey Chaucer by his wife Philippa, daughter of Sir Payne Roet and sister of Catherine Swnyford, mistress and afterwards wife of John, duke of Lancaster, was probably born in 1367. Early in life he married Matilda, second daughter and coheiress of Sir John Burghersh, nephew of Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln, treasurer and chancellor of the Kingdom. His marriage brought him large estates, and among them the manor of Ewelme, Oxfordshire. It is evident that his connection with the...
Another 165 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chawcers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chawcers family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Chawcers surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Chawcer who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print