Piersin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Piersin arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Piersin comes from the French given name Pierre, which is equivalent to the English Peter as in son of Peter or Pierre.1 2 3

Early Origins of the Piersin family

The surname Piersin was first found in Berwickshire where the name was derived as "son of Pier." Walter Pierson of Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. 4 However, some of the family were found at early times in Lancashire, specifically at the township of Shevington where "Crook Hall was the seat of the Pearsons." 5

In Somerset, early rolls there listed Walter Peressone and Richard Peresone, both 1 Edward III, (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls from 1379 included: Robertus Perisson. 7

Early History of the Piersin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Piersin research. Another 213 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1472, 1506, 1529, 1537, 1540, 1541, 1542, 1544, 1545, 1567, 1587, 1590, 1592, 1594, 1604, 1612, 1613, 1628, 1634, 1642, 1647, 1648, 1650, 1651, 1657, 1662, 1665, 1667, 1670, 1677, 1686, 1720 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Piersin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piersin 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 Pearson, Peerson, Pierson, Peirson and others.

Early Notables of the Piersin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Andrew Peerson or Pierson (d. 1594), an English divine, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He "graduated B.A. from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1540-1541 or 1542, and M.A. in 1544 or 1545. Soon after graduating B.A. he was elected fellow of his college; for a time he was bursar, and laid out and planted with fruit trees the fellows' garden." 8Martin Peerson, Pierson or Pearson (1590-1651), was an English musical composer from March, Cambridgeshire. "He graduated Mus. Bac. from Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1613. Fulke Greville, first lord Brooke, was his earliest...
Another 186 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Piersin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Piersin family to Ireland

Some of the Piersin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Piersin family

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 Piersin or a variant listed above: John Pearson, who settled with his wife and two children in Barbados in 1678; Mary Pearson settled in Virginia in 1646; Nicholas Pearson settled in Halifax Nova Scotia in 1774.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print