Contents [hide]

Petre History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Petre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
France
Ireland

The distinguished surname Petre emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymic surname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person's father. Flemish surnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Petre is derived from the personal name Peter. This is derived from the Latin name Petrus, which in turn comes from the Greek name Petros. The word petros means rock or stone. Peter was an extremely popular personal name in medieval Europe since it was the name conferred by Christ upon the apostle Simon bar Jonah. He became St. Peter and is regarded as the founding figure of the Christian Church.

One of the first records of the name was perhaps the most important, that of Peter (died 1085), Bishop of Lichfield, Chaplain of William I, and custodian of the see of Lincoln in 1066. "In 1076 Peter was sent by Lanfranc to assist the archbishop of York in certain consecrations (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles) In 1085 he died, and was buried at Chester, being the only bishop of the earlier foundation who was buried there." 1

Peter of Blois (fl. 1190) was Archdeacon of Bath and a noted author. He was born at Blois, France but his family was one of the noble families of Brittany.

Early Origins of the Petre family

The surname Petre was first found in Lincolnshire, where a bearer of Petrus was on record in the Domesday Book of 1086. Interestingly, Petrus (died 606) was the first abbot of St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, and was both a monk and a priest. He was one of the companions of St. Augustine on his mission to England in 596. 1

Geoffrey FitzPeter, Earl of Essex (d. 1213), younger brother of Simon Fitzpeter, Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire in the reign of Henry II, was Marshal in 1165, and Justice-Itinerant in Bedfordshire in 1163. 1

Peter des Roches (died 1238) was Bishop of Winchester who served under Richard I in his wars as knight and clerk, and became one of his chamberlains. A native of Poitou, France, he later served King John and was embroiled in the king's conflicts with Innocent III. 1

Other early records include Ralph Peter listed in the Pipe Rolls in Hertfordshire in 1195; Luke Petre listed in London in 1282 and a William Petres listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset of 1327. 2

Another branch of the family was established in early days at West Horndon in Essex. "This parish, in ancient documents called Thorndon, and Little Horndon, is remarkable for the splendid mansion of Lord Petre, named Thorndon Hall, which is beautifully situated on an eminence, surrounded by an extensive and richly wooded park." 3

And early records of Padstow, Cornwall listed "the barton of Trenear or Trenarran, was for some time a seat of the family of Peter, whose ancestors, about two hundred years since, came into Cornwall and first settled here; from whence they afterwards removed to Treator; and from thence the elder branch settled at Harlyn, on marrying with the heiress of Michel of that place. Treator has been the abode of this family nearly from the time that they first settled in Cornwall." 4

"In later years Tor Brian [Devon] became the cradle of the noble house of Petre. Tor Newton was the birthplace of the celebrated Sir William Petre, the most eminent of a distinguished band of brothers. First brought to Court by Cromwell, he speedily became a favourite with Henry VIII., and was one of the visitors of the religious houses. The wealth thus acquired he had wit enough to keep, obtaining under Mary, from Pope Paul IV., a confirmation of the grants of Church property made by Henry. One of the means used to this end was the promise to employ the money in a way the Church would approve ; and one of the ways adopted by him was the foundation of eight fellowships at Exeter College." 5

Early History of the Petre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petre research. Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1224, 1505, 1549, 1572, 1575, 1582, 1592, 1594, 1598, 1599, 1602, 1603, 1613, 1617, 1622, 1626, 1631, 1633, 1637, 1638, 1643, 1645, 1654, 1660, 1662, 1672, 1677, 1684, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1695, 1699, 1706, 1713, 1746, 1758, 1774 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Petre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petre Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Peters, Peter, Petre, Petry, FitzPeter and others.

Early Notables of the Petre family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Petre, 1st Baron Petre (1549-1613), Lord-Lieutenant of Essex; Gerard Peeters (fl. 1582-1592), an English author, educated at Westminster School, elected scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge; Hug...
Sir William Petre (1505-1572) was Secretary of State, born at Tor Newton, Devonshire, son of John Petre, said to be a rich tanner of Torbryan, Devonshire
Benjamin Petre (1672-1758) was a Roman Catholic prelate, son of John Petre (1617-1690) of Fidlers or Fithlers, Essex and Edward Petre (1631-1699), known as Father Petre or Peters, was confessor of Jam...
William Petre (1602-1677) was an Engliah translator, third son of William, second Lord Petre (1575-1637) of Writtle in Essex and another William Petre (1622-1684) 4th Baron Petre was the eldest son of...

Petre Ranking

In France, the name Petre is the 3,149^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Petre family to Ireland

Some of the Petre family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 107 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petre migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Petre were found:

Petre Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Petre, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 7

Petre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Petre, aged 22, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1740 7
Jacob Petre, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 7
John William Petre, aged 28, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1776 7

Petre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Petre, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 7
Henry Petre, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1882 7

Petre migration to Australia +

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

Petre Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Petre, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8

Petre 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:

Petre Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Petre, aged 19, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Hon. Henry Petre, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 9
Hon. Henry. W. Petre, British settler travelling from London and Plymouth aboard the ship "Thomas Sparks" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1843, the ship stuck rocks of the coast of Cape of Good Hope delaying her landing by 2 months 9
Mrs. Petre, British settler travelling from London and Plymouth aboard the ship "Thomas Sparks" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1843, the ship stuck rocks of the coast of Cape of Good Hope delaying her landing by 2 months 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Petre (post 1700) +

John Patrick Lionel Petre (b. 1942), 18th Baron Petre, English peer
Joseph William Lionel Petre (1914-1989), 17th Baron Petre, English peer
Lionel George Carroll Petre (1890-1915), 16th Baron Petre, English peer
Philip Benedict Joseph Petre (1864-1908), 15th Baron Petre, English peer
William Joseph Petre (1847-1893), 13th Baron Petre, English peer
William Bernard Petre (1817-1884), 12th Baron Petre, English peer
William Henry Francis Petre (1793-1850), 11th Baron Petre, English peer
Robert Edward Petre (1763-1809), 10th Baron Petre, English peer
Robert Edward Petre (1742-1801), 9th Baron Petre, English peer
Robert James Petre (1713-1742), 8th Baron Petre, English peer
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Petre Motto +

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: Invidia major
Motto Translation: Superior to envy.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html