Mercy History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe illustrious surname Mercy is classified as a habitation surname, which was originally derived from a place-name, and is one form of surname belonging to a broader group called hereditary surnames. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Topographic names, form the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Early Origins of the Mercy familyThe surname Mercy was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manors of Hampton Meysey and Marston Meysey. Family tradition states that the Meysey family was from Brittany and that they accompanied William the Conqueror in his conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. However, there is a Meisi in Calvados in Normandy, and this may have been a branch of the same family name. Godfrey de Meysey (Maisi) held his lands from the Bishop Theulfus. In Surrey, Geoffrey de Maisi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1130. 1 About 1110, some of the family moved to Worcestershire and the name appears frequently in the Red Book of the Bishopric of Worcester. Ogbourne Maizey (Maisey) is a hamlet in Wiltshire, north of the town of Marlborough. 2 Early History of the Mercy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mercy research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1764 is included under the topic Early Mercy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mercy Spelling VariationsSince the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Meysey, Meysy, Mysey, Maisie, Maysey, Maisey and others. Early Notables of the Mercy familyMore information is included under the topic Early Mercy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Mercy, or a variant listed above: Mercy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Mercy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Mercy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
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