Ammoray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Ammoray came to England with the ancestors of the Ammoray family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old French word amauri, which means work-rule or perhaps "valiant and diligent ruler." 1

Early Origins of the Ammoray family

The surname Ammoray was first found in Tours in Normandy, where the name was spelt D'Amery, or Amaury the delicate of Pontoisse, and they settled in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. 2 Consequently, the name was listed as in the Lating form, Haimericus in the Domesday Book. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family: Roger Ammary in Bedfordshire. 4

"One branch of this ancient house was long seated at Yatt, co. Gloucester; and another has migrated to the United States, where the name and family of Amory are well known and esteemed." 5

Early History of the Ammoray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ammoray research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1207, 1221, 1691 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Ammoray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ammoray Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Amory, Emery, Amery, Ammory, Ammery, Emry and others.

Early Notables of the Ammoray family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Amory (1691-1788), an English-Irish writer best known for his book "Life of John Buncle," and Amory of Knightshaven. He was the son of Councillor Amory, who accompanied William III to Ireland, was made secretary for the...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ammoray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ammoray family to Ireland

Some of the Ammoray 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 Ammoray family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Ammoray name or one of its variants: Thomas Emry, who was among the first group of immigrants to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; Rebecca Emry, who settled in Maryland in 1664; Thomas Amory, who migrated to South Carolina and became Advocate General and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lord Palatine in 1690.

The Ammoray Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Amore non vi
Motto Translation: Love not by force

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.