Mowry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Mowry was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mowry family lived in Northumberland. The name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Montbrai, in La Manche, Normandy. 1

However, another source claims the family claim descent from "the ancient barony of Mowbray, called by Odericus Vitalis Molbraium, [which] was identical with the village of Monbrai, in the canton or Perci, an arrondissement of St. Lo in Normandy." 2

Early Origins of the Mowry family

The surname Mowry was first found in Northumberland where Geoffrey de Montbray (d. 1093,) Bishop of Coutances was a warrior, administrator and close assistant of William the Conqueror.

After the death of William, Geoffrey settled in Bristol, (as listed in the Domesday Book) where he built a strong castle but frequently feuded with William II." A strong castle was erected [at Thirsk in the North Riding of Yorkshire] about 979 by the family of Mowbray, where Roger de Mowbray in the time of Henry II., having become a confederate of the King of Scotland, erected his standard against his lawful sovereign: upon the suppression of the revolt, this fortress, with many others, was entirely demolished by order of the king." 3

The same Roger de Mowbray also held Bambrough Castle in Northumberland. "After the Norman Conquest it was held by Robert de Mowbray, on whose insurrection against William Rufus it was besieged, and, after an obstinate defence, surrendered to that monarch, who threatened, unless it were given up, to put out the eyes of Mowbray, who had been taken prisoner." 3

The markettown and parish of Kirby-Malzeard in the West Riding of Yorkshire was another ancient family seat. "This place was the property of the Mowbray family, afterwards dukes of Norfolk, whose castle here was demolished in the reign of Henry II., and one of whom, John de Mowbray, obtained for the inhabitants in the reign of Edward I. a charter for a weekly market and two annual fairs." 3

"The Mowbrays used the mulBerry as their rebus. Thomas Duke of Norfolk, at his famous duel with the Duke of Hereford at Coventry, rode a 'horse barded with crimson velvet embroydered with Lions of silver and mulberry trees.' " 4

Early History of the Mowry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mowry research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1297, 1314, 1365, 1366, 1377, 1385, 1396, 1397, 1399, 1405, 1444, 1475, 1476, 1880 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Mowry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mowry Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Mowbray, Moubray, Mowbrey, Moubrey and others.

Early Notables of the Mowry family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Mowbray (1365-1399), an English nobleman, created 1st Duke of Norfolk in 1397, by King Richard II of England; and Thomas de Mowbray (1385-1405), 4th Earl of Norfolk, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, 8th Baron Segrave, 7th Baron Mowbray, English nobleman and rebel, after death of father, allowed to succeed him as Earl of Norfolk and Nottingham. He received his father's...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mowry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mowry Ranking

In the United States, the name Mowry is the 7,072^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Mowry migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Mowry or a variant listed above:

Mowry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Mowry, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Mowry (post 1700) +

Daniel Mowry Jr. (1729-1806), American cooper and farmer
Joseph Aloysius Mowry (1908-1994), American outfielder in Major League Baseball
Jess Mowry (b. 1960), American author
Larry Mowry (b. 1936), American professional golfer
Tahj Dayton Mowry (b. 1986), American actor, dancer and singer
Tamera Darvette Mowry (b. 1978), American actress
Tia Dashon Mowry (b. 1978), American actress and Singer
William Augustus Mowry (1829-1917), American educator and historical writer
Sylvester Mowry (1830-1871), American pioneer and the founder of Mowry, Arizona
Albert H. Mowry, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Charleston, South Carolina, 1887-98 7
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html