Show ContentsTyrner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Tyrner reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Tyrner is for a lathe worker. The surname Tyrner was originally derived from the Old French verb tourneour, meaning to turn on a lathe. Such a craftsman would have fashioned basically cylindrical objects out of wood, metal, and bone. 1

Early Origins of the Tyrner family

The surname Tyrner was first found in Oxfordshire in midland England but was found throughout England. "It is well represented in the midlands, especially in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire, and is also numerous in Lancashire." 2 Mark Antony Lower in his source Patronymica Britannica suggests that the name is all "out of all proportion, to the number of persons engaged in the trade" of the lathe. He argues that the family may have first appeared before the Conquest in a grant to the monastery of Croyland, in 1051, being signed, among others, by a Turnerus Capellanus. 3 Moreover, the family was also quite numerous in Scotland from early times.

The Hundredorum Rolls list: Aylbricht le Turnur in London in 1271; Geoffrey le Turner in Cambridgeshire; and William le Tumor in Oxfordshire. The latter two listings were probably made in 1273. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes Tumour, turnour. Ironically there are very few listings in the early rolls of the trade. Calendarium Rotulorum Originalium listed William le Tournour and Kirby's Quest listed Henry le Tornour in Somerset during the first year of Edward III reign. 4 1

In Scotland, "a family of this name had possession of the estate of Ardwall in the parish of New Abbey for many generations." 5 Black continues Thomas dictus Tumour held land in Aberdeen in 1382; John Turnoure held land in Irvine in 1426; William Tumour, merchant of Scotland, had a safe conduct in England, 1473; William Turnoure is recorded in Edinburgh, 1482.

Early History of the Tyrner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tyrner research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1191, 1300, 1500, 1575, 1585, 1591, 1600, 1607, 1615, 1617, 1623, 1626, 1638, 1645, 1662, 1663, 1668, 1669, 1672, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1688, 1691, 1693, 1700, 1707, 1714, 1735 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Tyrner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tyrner Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Tyrner are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Tyrner include Turner, Turnerus, Turnor, Turnour, Turnoure and many more.

Early Notables of the Tyrner family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Cyril Tourneur, Turnour or Turner (1575?-1626), English dramatist, born about 1575, probably a near relative and possibly the son of Captain Richard Turnor or Turner; Sir Timothy Turner SL JP (1585-1677), an English judge; Thomas Turner (1591-1672), an English Royalist churchman and Dean of Canterbury; Sir Edward Turnor or Turnour (1617-1676), Speaker of the House of Commons of England; Sir Edmund Turnor (died 1707) of Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire; Sir Christopher Turnor (1607-1675), an English judge, knight and Royalist; Francis Turner D.D. (c. 1638-1700), English...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tyrner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Tyrner family to Ireland

Some of the Tyrner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tyrner family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Tyrner, or a variant listed above: William Turner who settled in Maine in 1607 thirteen years before the "Mayflower"; Henry Turner, who settled in Virginia in 1615; Robert Turner, who was on record in Virginia in 1619.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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