Pettegrew History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Pettegrew comes from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain after the Conquest of 1066. It was a name for a small man. The name was originally derived from the Old French words "petit," meaning "small or little," and "cru," meaning "growth." Alternatively, the name could have be Anglo-French in origin from "pee de grue," meaning "foot of a crane." In this case, it would have been a nickname literally meaning "Crane-Foot." 1 Another source notes the was at one time "Petygrerve," but he believed the name is in reality derived from the manor of Pettigrew, near Gerans, in Cornwall. 2 On this latter source, we feel compelled to add the comments of P.H. Reaney: "The common belief that this name derives from a place in Cornwall is clearly untenable. There is no place of that name in that county, early forms have no preposition, and come from the eastern countries. Nor can the name be identical with 'pedigree' Fr: 'ped de grue' 'crane-foot'. " 3 While we are hesitant to give an added opinion to this squabble, we would add that we too could not find any place so named in Cornwall. Reaney goes on to note that the first record of the name that he could find was in the Assize Rolls of Essex in 1227 where Andrew Peticruw was listed at that time. Richard and Roger Peticruw was listed in the Assize Rolls of Essex and Staffordshire in 1283 and 1298. 3 Despite the aforementioned, the name is generally understood to have a closer affinity to Scotland than England as we shall explore later. Early Origins of the Pettegrew familyThe surname Pettegrew was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. One of the first records of the name was Thomas Petykreu of the county of Lanark, who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. "John Petty grew witnessed the promulgation of a papal bull at Linlithgow in 1461. A booth was leased to John Pedecrw in 1488 for half a mark, and the same year, as John Pethecrew, he was made a burgess of Lanark." 4 Early History of the Pettegrew familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pettegrew research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1497, 1515, 1518, 1791, 1865 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pettegrew History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pettegrew Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Pettegrew has been recorded under many different variations, including Pettigrew, Pettegrew, Pettergrew and others. Early Notables of the Pettegrew familyAnother 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pettegrew Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Pettegrew family to IrelandSome of the Pettegrew family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Pettegrews were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Pettegrew Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
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: Sine sole nihil Motto Translation: Nothing without the sun.
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