Show ContentsJewry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The saga of the name Jewry begins with the people of the Pictish clans. Jewry was a name for a person who held the office of Dereth.

Early Origins of the Jewry family

The surname Jewry was first found in Fife, where "Durie, [is] an estate in the parish of Scoonie." 1

Some of the first records of the family include: "Duncan de Durry witnessed a charter by Malise, earl of Strathem, c. 1258-1271. John Dury [who] was cleric in St. Andrews diocese, 1464, and Walter Doray [who] was one of the brethren of the Priory of Cupar, 1500. Mr. Andrew Dure was presented to the vicarage of Newtyle, 1519, George Dury witnessed a presentation in St. Andrews, 1526, and Joneta Durye had sasine of lands in Ayrshire, 1564. " 2

Early History of the Jewry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jewry research. Another 302 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1296, 1464, 1496, 1519, 1526, 1527, 1530, 1537, 1555, 1558, 1561, 1564, 1587, 1596, 1600, 1616, 1650 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Jewry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jewry Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Jewry has been spelled Durie, Durray, Doray, Dorie, Durrie and others.

Early Notables of the Jewry family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Robert Durie (1555-1616), a Scottish Presbyterian minister; and his son, John Dury (1596-1680), a Scottish Calvinist minister and intellectual. He made efforts to re-unite the Calvinist and Lutheran wings of Protestantism. Andrew Durie (d. 1558), was Bishop of Galloway and Abbot of Melrose, the son of John Durie of Durie in Fife, and brother to George Durie. George Durie (1496-1561), was Abbot of Dunfermline and Archdeacon of St. Andrews. "From 1527 till 1530 he acted as judge and executor of the monastery of Arbroath. During...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jewry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Jewry family to Ireland

Some of the Jewry 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.


Australia Jewry migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jewry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Simon Jewry, (b. 1829), aged 14, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 4th April 1843, sentenced for 7 years for stealing cakes, raisins, and walnuts from a shop, transported aboard the ship "Lord Auckland" on 13th July 1844 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 3

New Zealand Jewry migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jewry Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Olive Jewry, (b. 1849), aged 21, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1870 4


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. 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)
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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