Somerbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Somerbey surname evolved from any of several places so named in Northern England. The place name comes from the Old Norse "saurr," meaning "ground," and "the Old English "byr," meaning farm. [1] [2]

Alternatively, the name could have originated in the far south of England, specifically Cornwall and Devon where could have been derived from the Middle English personal name Soby. "It could also derive from the rare Old French name Sob(b)o, a pet form of ancient Germanic names like Sudbald and Sudbert (composed of the elements sud- 'south' + -bald 'bold' and -bert 'bright'). A habitational name from a shortened form of Sobbery, a Middle English form of Sodbury, Gloucestershire, is also formally possible but no evidence has been found that definitely links the two names. This surname is found in Cornwall from the late 13th century." [3]

Early Origins of the Somerbey family

The surname Somerbey was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Sowerby, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Thirsk, wapentake of Birdforth. Another chapelry named Sowerby can be found in the West Riding of Yorkshire. [4] Both date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when they were both recorded as Sorebi at that time. [5]

Castle Sowerby is a civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England and it is here that Odierna de Sourebi was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. Years later, Richard Surby was listed in London in 1381 and in the same year, William Sourby was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls. [6]

Also in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, we found Thomas de Sawreby; and Johannes de Sawreby. [7]

"Sowerby is the name of parishes and townships in the North and West Ridings, in Lancashire, and Cumberland. Between the reigns of Charles II. and George I. three Thomas Sowerbys were buried in the minister yard, Ripon. Soureby was a Yorkshire surname in the reign of Edward I.. The Sowerbys are also represented in the counties of Cumberland, Durham (around Darlington), and Lincoln." [3]

Today, the variants Sower and Sowers is an abbreviated form of the name Sowersby. [6]

Early History of the Somerbey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Somerbey research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1609, 1699, 1757, 1787, 1788, 1811, 1812, 1822, 1825, 1831, 1843, 1844, 1847, 1852, 1854, 1871, 1884 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Somerbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Somerbey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Somerbey have been found, including Sowerby, Sowerbie, Sowersby, Sorebi, Soreby, Soureby, Sowerbutts, Sourbutts, Sorbutt, Sowers and many more.

Early Notables of the Somerbey family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Surbey, an English water engineer made notes of the lock at Hudd's Mill in 1699.James Sowerby (1757-1822) was a British naturalist and illustrator, whose sons would continue his work. He was the son of John Sowerby (descendant of an old border family through the Yorkshire branch) and Arabella, his wife, was born in London on 21 March 1757. He became a student at the Royal Academy, and was an articled pupil of Richard Wright, the marine painter. In his early years he was a teacher of drawing and a portrait-painter.His eldest son...
Another 448 words (32 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Somerbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Somerbey family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Somerbey, or a variant listed above: Charles Sowerby who settled in Philadelphia in 1843; William Sowersby, who arrived in New York State in 1774; and Robert Sowersby, who settled in Texas in 1844..

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.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)