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Helyard is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Helyard family lived in Devon. This name is, however, not a reference to that area, but to the family's place of residence prior to their emigration to England with the Norman Conquest of 1066, St. Hellier, near Rouen, Normandy. 1
Alternatively the name could have been derived from "the Anglo-Saxon helan, like the southern provincialism, to heal, signifies to cover; and in the West of England a hellier is a thatcher or tiler, equivalent to the French couvreur, one who covers buildings with any material whatever. It was a kind of generic appellative, including the Thatchers, Tylers, Slaters, Shinglers, and Reeders, all of whom are also separately represented in our family nomenclature. In Walsingham's History, the arch-traitor, Wat Tyler, is designated 'Walterus Helier.' " 2
The surname Helyard was first found in Devon.
While many of the family hail from Devon, early rolls proved the widespread use of the name likely as an occupational one. In Kent, Robert le Heliere was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275; Gilbert le Helyere was listed in Hampshire in 1280 and Robert le Hillier was found in Bedforshire in 1347. 3
There were two early records in Somerset: Michael le Helier and William le Heliere, both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 4
The reader should note that all these early entries include "le" in reference to the trade as in, Robert "the" Heliere and so on.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Helyard research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1503, 1522, 1524, 1525, 1535, 1662, 1677, 1680, 1682, 1684, 1687, 1690 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Helyard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Helyard 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 Helyard include Hellier, Helliar, Helyar, Hellyer and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Hellier (1662?-1697), English divine, born at Chew-Dundry, Somersetshire, about 1662, the son of Henry Hellier. He became scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in April 1677, and graduated B.A. 1680, M.A. 1682, B.D. 1690, and D.D. 1697. He was ordained deacon at Christ Church...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Helyard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Helyard, or a variant listed above: Isaac, John and Peter Hellier, who settled in Virginia in 1654; Marjorie, Mary, Robert, Thomas Hellier settled in Barbados between 1654 and 1684; Robert and Thomas Hellyer settled in Barbados in 1685..