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| Origins Available: |
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As we follow the name Geere back through history, we find that the surname is ultimately derived from the Middle English word "geary," meaning "changeable" or "passionate." 1
Another source notes "This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the gare' , from residence thereby." 2
And another source states "Gear signifies all sorts of wearing apparel and equipments for horses and men, from the Saxon gearrian, to make ready; and the name was probably given to one who took charge of and superintended the gear. John of the Gear, John O' Gear, and at length John Gear." 3
The surname Geere was first found in Suffolk, where the earliest record of the name is Albert, Joscelin Gere, who was listed in the "Cartularium monasterii de Rameseia" Rolls between 1133-1160. 1
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing of the family: Stephen de la Gare, Kent. But the "Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III." had two listings, both 20, Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign): Lucas atte Gare, Kent; and Lucas de la Gare, Kent. 2
Allen Atte-gar, was vicar of Elmham, Norfolk in 1356. 4
"There is an estate named Gear in the parish of St. Earth, which Polwhele thinks may have had its name from caer, castrum; and he says Gear Bridge below was originally Caer Bridge. Geare in Cornish signifies 'green or flourishing.' " 5
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Geere research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1565, 1580, 1601, 1602, 1603, 1615, 1622, 1649 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Geere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Geere family name include Gear, Geare, Geear, Geere, Gere and others.
Notables of the family at this time include Sir Michael Geare (c. 1565 - ?), captain of the ship "Little John," who was knighted in for his role in the privateer wars in the West Indies with Spain in 1580-1603.
Alan Geare (1622-1662), was a nonconformist divine, born at Stoke Fleming, near Dartmouth, Devonshire...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Geere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Geere surname or a spelling variation of the name include: