Gerlend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The name Gerlend originated among the descendants of the ancient Pictish clans. It is derived from the Old English personal name Gærland. However, the surname Gerlend may be a local name derived from some place which is now unknown; gær and land are common elements in Old English nomenclature.

Early Origins of the Gerlend family

The surname Gerlend was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland. Searching through early records, we discovered: "Robert Gerland of Perthshire rendered homage [to King Edward I of England] in 1296, Thomas Gerland was rector of the church of Banevy, 1321, and Gilbert Gerland was bailie of Perth, 1359. Thomas Garland was burgess of Linlithgow in 1360, and Roger Gerland or Garland was rector of the church of Eglisham, 1368-1370." 1

The name may have originated in England as of note was Johannes de Garlandia or John of Garland (fl. c. 1205-1255) was a philologist and university teacher who studied at Oxford. Another Johannes de Garlandia (Johannes Gallicus) (fl. c. 1270-1320) was a French music theorist of the late ars antiqua period of medieval music. And John Garland (fl. 1230), was an early grammarian and alchemist, who was assigned by Bale and Pits to the eleventh century, but some argue that he was also a native of France. 2

Further south in the parish of Chumleigh, Devon, "Garland is supposed by Prince to have been the birthplace of John de Garland (Garlandia), a poet of the eleventh century, and it continued in the Garlands until the close of the seventeenth century. " 3

There is much debate as to which century the important poet lived as another source explains "John Garland (fl. 1230), grammarian and alchemist, was assigned by Bale and Pits to the eleventh century, and Dom Rivet, accepting this date, argued that he was also a native of France. They were not acquainted, however, with Garland's poem, 'De Triumphis Ecclesiæ.' Garland there describes himself as one whose mother was England and his nurse Gaul, and says that he had studied at Oxford under one John of London, a philosopher. From Oxford he went to Paris, and since he there studied under Alain de Lille, who died in 1202, we may assume that he was born about 1180. " 2

Early History of the Gerlend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerlend research. Another 211 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1296, 1379, 1389, 1425, 1482, 1487, 1578, 1598, 1637, 1642, 1660, 1661, 1787 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gerlend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerlend Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Gerlend include Garland, Garlland, Gerland, Gerlond and others.

Early Notables of the Gerlend family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Augustine Garland (fl. 1660), English Regicide, son of Augustine Garland, attorney, of Coleman Street, London. By the death of his father, in 1637, he succeeded to property in Essex at Hornchurch and Waltham-holy-Cross, and at Queenborough in the island of Sheppey. On 9 May 1660 he appeared before the lord mayor of London and claimed the benefit of the king's declaration. Nevertheless he was put on his trial, and on...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerlend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gerlend family to Ireland

Some of the Gerlend family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 175 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gerlend family

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Gerlend: Daniel and Elizabeth Garland who settled in Barbados in 1654; Hugh Garland settled in Virginia in 1634; Peter Garland settled in Virginia in 1650; Robert Garland settled in Virginia in 1655.

Citations +

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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital