Tillyer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Tillyer arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a tiler. The name describes a person whose job it was to bake clay into tiles in an oven, a common occupation in medieval times.

Early Origins of the Tillyer family

The surname Tillyer was first found in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Herefordshire where they were granted large estates after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the more interesting entries for the name was Walter or Wat Tyler, Tegheler (d. 1381), and English "rebel, had no real surname, all the above designations referring to his trade, which was that of covering roofs with tiles. There were several others of his calling among the ringleaders of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, one, it is said, of the same Christian name, and some confusion has resulted. He is usually credited, for instance, with having given the signal for the rising in Kent by killing a collector of the poll-tax who insulted his daughter. " 1

Early History of the Tillyer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tillyer research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341 and 1381 are included under the topic Early Tillyer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tillyer Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Tyler, Tilliere, Tylor, Tiler, Tellier and others.

Early Notables of the Tillyer family

More information is included under the topic Early Tillyer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tillyer family to Ireland

Some of the Tillyer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tillyer family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Tillyer or a variant listed above: John Tyler settled in Virginia in 1623 with Elizabeth, Robert, William; John Baptist Tyler settled in Maryland in 1706; Nathaniel settled in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630.