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![Show Contents]() Fitcher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Fitcher is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who worked as a fisherman. Looking back even further, we found the name was originally derived from the Old English word fischer. 1 "This seems to be a sufficiently obvious derivation from the calling of a fisherman, especially since ' fisher ' occurs in our version of the New Testament in this sense; and Leland in his Itinerary usually describes the smaller sea-coast places as "fischar tounes." In Domesday [Book] and other early records, we meet with the forms Piscator, Le Pecheur, etc." 2 "In the time of King Stephen the family of Fitz-Urse (a name which in after days degenerated into Fitzour, Fyshour, and Fisher) became possessed of the great manor of Williton; they had their descent from that Urso, or Ursus, who in the time of William the Conqueror held lands in Grittleton, and other parts of Wiltshire, of the Abbey of Glastonbury. The first of the name who enjoyed this manor was Richard Fitz Urse, who died about 14 Hen. II., leaving issue three sons ; Sir Reginald, Sir Robert, and Walter. Sir Reginald, the eldest, had his residence at Williton, in a house which he afterwards gave to his brother Robert, with a moiety of this manor. This Sir Reginald was among the courtiers standing in the presence chamber at Bur, near Bayeux, a few days before Christmas 1170, when the King gave audience to the three prelates that had been excommunicated by Thomas a Beckett, and came to lay their complaint before him." 3 Early Origins of the Fitcher familyThe surname Fitcher was first found in Essex, where Richard le Fischer was listed in the Feet of Fines in 1263. Years later, Ralph de Fisshar’ was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4 In early records the name was often listed in Latin as "piscator" as seen by this record found in Scotland: Robert dominus Piscator, burgess of Perth, 1292. The Latin version quickly deferred to a more English version when "Michael Fysser who appears in record in 1344 as bailie of Perth is probably the Michaele Fisser recorded in 1338. " 5 Early History of the Fitcher familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fitcher research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1488, 1513, 1514, 1603, 1605, 1613, 1616, 1623, 1655, 1661, 1665, 1683, 1693, 1698, 1702, 1705, 1826, 1827, 1890 and 1956 are included under the topic Early Fitcher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fitcher Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Fisher, Fischer and others. Early Notables of the Fitcher familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Fisher; Sir Robert Fisher, 1st Baronet of Great Packington, Warwickshire; and his son, Sir Clement Fisher, 2nd Baronet (1613-1683), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Coventry (1661); Samuel Fisher (1605-1665) was an English Quaker controversialist from Northampton; Payne Fisher (1616-1693), an English...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitcher Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Fitcher family to Ireland
Some of the Fitcher family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Fitcher migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fitcher or a variant listed above:
Fitcher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Silvester Fitcher, who landed in Virginia in 1638 6
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: Respice finem
Motto Translation: Regard the end.
- 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.
- 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
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- 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)
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Fitcher migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
