Merryfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Merryfield history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Merryfield history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Merryfield family originally lived in Cornwall, in the village of Merryfield.

Early Origins of the Merryfield family

The surname Merryfield was first found in Cornwall and Devon, where this prominent family flourished. Walter Merifild was recorded in Devon in 1200 but it is believed the family had established itself earlier in St. Columb, Cornwall.

"Towards the conclusion of the fifteenth century, [Tacabre, Cornwall] was seized by Richard III. as having been the property of the Duchess of Exeter, the sister of Edward IV. Some time after this it acquired the name of Merrifield, by which appellation it is still known; but from whence this name is derived, cannot be ascertained. It is conjectured to be a corruption of Mary-field, probably from its belonging to the convent of St. Mary de Graces. This manor is of considerable dimensions, extending into the parishes of Whitstone, Tamerton, and St. Stephens near Launceston in Cornwall, and into the parish of Sourton in Devonshire. Connected with this manor of Merrifield is the barton of Tacabre, which still retains its primitive name." 1

Early History of the Merryfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merryfield research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1341, 1584, 1621, 1659 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Merryfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merryfield Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Merrifield, Merrifild, Merefield, Merrefield, Merrifeild, Merefeild, Maryfield, Meryfield, Meryfeld, Merryfield, Merrivale, Merivale, Marrivale, Merevale, Meervale, Merrivall, Merryvall and many more.

Early Notables of the Merryfield family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Merryfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merryfield migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Merryfield arrived in North America quite early:

Merryfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Merryfield, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1658 2

Merryfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jeremiah Merryfield, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 2

Merryfield migration to Australia +

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

Merryfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Merryfield, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Rajah" 3
Jes Merryfield, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajah" in 1849 3
Mr. Thomas Merryfield, (b. 1829), aged 26, Cornish agricultural labourer departing from Plymouth on 7th November 1854 aboard the ship "Amazon" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 1st February 1855 4
Mrs. Elizabeth Merryfield, (b. 1835), aged 20, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 7th November 1854 aboard the ship "Amazon" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 1st February 1855 4
Mr. William Merryfield, (b. 1865), aged 24, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jumna" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 12th December 1889 5

Merryfield 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:

Merryfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Merryfield, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston aboard the ship "Spray" arriving in New Zealand in 1851 6
John Merryfield, aged 18, a farm labourer, who arrived in Napier aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
Mr. John Merryfield, (b. 1861), aged 18, Cornish farm Labourer departing on 30th May 1879 aboard the ship "Rakaia" going to Hawkes Bay, New Zealand arriving in port on 9th September 1879 7

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJAH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Rajah.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf