Sweetsur History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Sweetsur is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Sweetsur was a name used for a person who was referred to as swete, which is an Old English word used to describe a sweet or gentle person. 1 Another source claims the name was "probably an Anglo-Saxon personal name, having reference to character." 2 Early Origins of the Sweetsur familyThe surname Sweetsur was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where the name was found as both a forename and a surname: Swet le Bone, Norfolk; Adam Swet, Oxfordshire; and Roger Swet, Cambridgeshire. 3 In Somerset, Walter Swete was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III) 4 and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Suete and Johannes Swete as holding lands there at that time. 3 Early History of the Sweetsur familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sweetsur research. Another 265 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1583, 1660, 1672, 1685, 1700, 1708, 1712, 1752, 1770, 1774, 1777, 1781 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Sweetsur History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sweetsur Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Sweetsur include Sweit, Sweet, Swete, Sweete, Sweett and others. Early Notables of the Sweetsur familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sweetsur Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sweetsur family to IrelandSome of the Sweetsur family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Sweetsur familyThousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Sweetsur were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Robert Sweet who settled in Virginia in 1623; George settled there in 1653; Thomas Sweet settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1633; William Sweet settled in Virginia in 1654.
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