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![Show Contents]() Skerit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
Both the Anglo-Norman invaders and the Irish had their own methodologies and customs for surnames. The Irish, in particular, had a system of hereditary surnames. Although the name Skerit is a form of the hereditary name, it is an occupational surname, a form more common to the Anglo-Normans. Occupational surnames were derived from a word describing the actual job done by the name bearer. Early Strongbownians often used the French prefix le, meaning the, but the convention quickly disappeared in Ireland. The surname came from a common occupational name for a house keeper or butler. The surname Skerit originally took the form Scared, which is an abbreviation of Huscared. This in turn is a corruption of Huscarle which means house care. Early Origins of the Skerit familyThe surname Skerit was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. They were conjecturally descended from Alfred le Breton, who was granted the lands by William the Conqueror, and was Lord of the manor of Petertavy in Devon. Early History of the Skerit familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Skerit research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1378, 1414, 1415, 1417, 1418, 1491, 1492, 1513, 1531, 1532, 1556, 1557, 1580, 1583, 1594, 1595, 1605, 1606, 1620, 1642 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Skerit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Skerit Spelling VariationsChurch officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Skerit include: Skerritt, Skerratt, Skerrett, Skerit, Skeret, Scared, Scarrett, Scarrutt and many more. Early Notables of the Skerit familyNotable amongst the family up to this time was Richard Scared, Provost of Galway in 1378; Walter Skerrett, Provost of Galway (1414-1415) and (1417-1418); John Skerrett, 7th Mayor of Galway (1491-1492); James Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1531-1532); William Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1556-1557); Roland Skerrett, Mayor of Galway (1594-1595); John Skerrett fitz William, Mayor of Galway (1605-1606)...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Skerit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Skerit familyIreland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Skerit: William Skerratt who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868; Bartholomew Skerrett landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856; Catharine, and Edward Skerritt and daughter Mary settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1849.
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