Show ContentsSearight History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Searight date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Searight family lived in Sebright in the county of Essex which was later known as Great Seabright in Great Beddow in Essex. This surname is also of patronymic origin in that it was originally derived from the baptismal name Seabert, taken from the Old English personal name Saebeorht.

Sebert, Saberet or Saba (died 616?) was the first Christian king of the East-Saxons, son of Sledda, king of the East-Saxons. Sebert is said to have founded Westminster Abbey, but this is a late legend. "In 1308 a tomb, said to be that of Sebert, was opened in Westminster Abbey for the purpose of translating the relics, and the right hand and forearm of the body were found undecayed." [1]

Early Origins of the Searight family

The surname Searight was first found in Essex where "William Sebright of Sebright, in Much Beddow, living in the reign of Henry II is the ancestor of this ancient family who removed into this county (Worcestershire) at a very early period." [2]

Early History of the Searight family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Searight research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1645, 1658, 1668, 1679, 1692, 1702, 1706, 1729, 1736, 1764 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Searight History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Searight Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Searight are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Searight include: Seabright, Sebright, Seabricks, Sebricks and others.

Early Notables of the Searight family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Edward Sebright, 1st Baronet (c. 1585-c. 1658) of Besford in the County of Worcester, High Sheriff of Worcestershire; Sir Edward Sebright, 2nd Baronet (c. 1645-1679); Sir Edward Sebright, 3rd Baronet (1668-1702)...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Searight Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Searight migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Searight or a variant listed above:

Searight Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Searight, who arrived in New York in 1789 [3]
Searight Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jane Searight, who arrived in America in 1804 [3]
  • John Searight, who arrived in America in 1804 [3]
  • Quintin Searight, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1864 [3]


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. 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)


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