Prichert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The name Prichert was a Welsh patronymic surname created from the personal name Richard. 1 2 The name was originally ap-Richard, the Welsh patronymic prefix "ap-," meaning "son of." The use of the prefix has disappeared over the course of time.

Early Origins of the Prichert family

The surname Prichert was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Spelling variations for this name are numerous through the ages. So as to underline this, a look at the Register of the University of Oxford reveals: David Aprycharde, 1521; William Prichard, or Ap-Richard, 1545; 3 and Thomas Prichett, London, 1616. 4

Early History of the Prichert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prichert research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1632, 1669, 1672, 1681, 1682, 1683, 1704, 1705, 1718, 1750 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Prichert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prichert Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Prichert have included Pritchard, Prichard, Prickard and others.

Early Notables of the Prichert family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. (1669-1750) a Roman Catholic bishop; John Pritchett (died 1681), an English clergyman, Bishop of Gloucester (1672-1681). Sir William Pritchard or Prichard (1632?-1705), was an English merchant and politician, Sheriff of London in 1672, Lord Mayor of London in 1682. He was second son of Francis Pritchard of Southwark, and his wife, Mary Eggleston. He is described as 'merchant taylor' and alderman of Broad Street. In 1672 he was sheriff of London, and was knighted on 23 Oct. in that year. On 29 Sept. 1682 be went to the poll...
Another 184 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prichert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prichert family to Ireland

Some of the Prichert family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prichert migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Prichert:

Prichert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catherine Prichert, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 5
Jacob Prichert, aged 29, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 5

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)