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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Merrie family lived in Norfolk. Their name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Meret, Normandy.
The surname Merrie was first found in Norfolk. However, some of the family were found at Stow-Maries in Essex. "This parish takes the adjunct to its name from the family of Marey, to whom the lands at one time belonged." 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merrie research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1660 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Merrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Merry, Mirrey, Merrie, Mirrie and others.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Merrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Merrie or a variant listed above: