Conyers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Conyers family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Coisgnières, Normandy, "as the name was spelt in Normandy; one of the noblest families in the North of England." 1

Early Origins of the Conyers family

The surname Conyers was first found in Durham at Sockburn, where the then Bishop of Durham, Ralph Flambard, granted lands to Roger de Conyers sometime between 1099 and 1133.

"Roger Conyers was by William the Conqueror made Constable of Durham Castle and Keeper of all the arms of ye souldiers within the Castle, was after past to him ye saide Roger by deede to him and his heires mailes for ever, under the great scale of William de Santo Carilepho, Bishop of Durham." 1

A second Roger succeeded to his father, and to him followed a third to whom "Henricus II. Rex. Anghse dedit vel confirmavit Constabulatum de Dunelme."

"I know, of no actual proof to establish this transmission ; but there is sufficient evidence from charters in the Treasury to prove that the Norman family of Conyers, Lords of Bishopton (and possibly from the same early date owners of Sockburn), held the rank of nobles or Barons of the Bishopric at least from the reign of Henry I. Bishop Ralph Flambard gave Rungetun in Yorkshire to Roger Conyers before 1126. His son was that Roger Conyers whose important services to Bishop William de St. Barbara are on record in Simeon. The story runs thus: Conyers afforded the Bishop a safe retreat in his strength or Peel-house of Bishopton; and he afterwards had the address to bring the Scotch intruder Comyn a humble, kneeling penitent before the Episcopal throne. To bring about this most wished conclusion implies as much courage, and certainly more address, than if the Constable had finished the contest in the usual manner with the bloody hand. The Constable's staff, and the Wardenship of Durham Castle, which he had recovered from Comyn, seems a most appropriate reward; and if the green acres of Sockburn were added to the gift, he was still not overpaid." 2

Many of the family were found at East and West Newbiggin. "This place formerly belonged to the Conyers family, with whom it continued until the beginning of the 17th century, when Sir George Conyers, Knt., and his son, alienated the manor in various parcels to their tenants. " 3 Hutton-Conyers in the wapentake of Allertonshire in the North Riding of Yorkshire is another ancient family seat. "This place was anciently the residence of a branch of the Conyers family, whose Hall appears to have been on the north side of the village, in a field still called the Hallgarth." 3

Early History of the Conyers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conyers research. Another 379 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1313, 1324, 1507, 1587, 1619, 1628, 1630, 1633, 1650, 1660, 1663, 1666, 1684, 1685, 1694, 1695, 1725, 1728, 1731, 1758 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Conyers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Conyers Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Conyers were recorded, including Conyers, Coniers, Coigniers, Convers, Converse and many more.

Early Notables of the Conyers family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Conyers of Horden
Tristram Conyers (1619-1684), an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Maldon in 1660
Darcy Conyers (1685-1758), British politician and courtier of the 18th century
John Conyers (1650-1725), English politician, Member of Parliament for East Grinstead from 1695
Thomas Conyers (1666-1728), English Member of Parliament

Conyers Ranking

In the United States, the name Conyers is the 3,841^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Conyers family to Ireland

Some of the Conyers 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.

Conyers migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Conyers arrived in North America very early:

Conyers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Moses Conyers, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 5
Moses Conyers, who settled in Virginia in 1623
Edward Conyers, who landed in Massachusetts in 1630 5
Allen Conyers, who arrived in Woburn, MEISS in 1644 5
Josiah Conyers, who landed in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1651 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Conyers Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Conyers, who settled in New England in 1718
Eleanor Conyers who settled in Maryland in 1733
Robert Conyers, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 5
Bartholomew Conyers, who arrived in Fredericksburg, Va in 1788 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Conyers (post 1700) +

Ian Kyle Conyers (b. 1988), American politician who represented the 4th District of Michigan in the Michigan Senate (2016-2018)
Monica Conyers (b. 1964), American politician, President of the Detroit City Council (2006-2010)
John Conyers Jr. (1929-2019), American lawyer and politician, Member for the First District of Michigan, (Democrat), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C
Herbert Leroy Conyers (1921-1964), American Major League Baseball first baseman
Evelyn Augusta Conyers CBE, RRC & Bar (1870-1944), New Zealand-born Australian matron-in-chief of the Australian Army Nursing Service during the First World War, its first member to be awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal
Sir James Reginald "Reggie" Conyers CBE (1879-1948), Bermudian lawyer, politician, and cricketer
David Conyers (b. 1971), Australian author of predominantly science fiction and Lovecraftian horror
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Conyers Leach GCB (b. 1923), British former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy
Conyers Herring (1914-2009), American physicist and co-winner of the 1984/85 Wolf Prize in Physics

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Surtees, Robert, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. London: J. Nichols and Son, 25 Parliament Street, 1820. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)