Meyrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Celtic name Meyrick came from the rugged landscape of Wales. This old, proud name derives from the personal name Meuric, which is the Welsh form of Maurice. The surname Meyrick is ultimately derived from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means "dark." 1 In Britain, Maurice was the learned form of the name, while Morice was the common form.
Early Origins of the Meyrick family
The surname Meyrick was first found in Anglesey (Welsh: Ynys Môn), a Welsh-speaking island, and present day County of Isle of Anglesey, located at the northwestern extremity of Wales. The family was traditionally understood to be descended from Mrien, Lord of Rheged, through Cadaval Ynad, a Judge of Powys, who lived about 1190.
The senior branch of the line settled in Anglesey where Samuel Cadaval was Lord of Cydywain. His son, Tudor ap Madoc, married the daughter of the Prince of North Wales. Einiawn Ap David, his successor was Usher at the Palace of Sheen.
Early History of the Meyrick family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meyrick research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1485, 1505, 1538, 1556, 1558, 1563, 1566, 1576, 1582, 1588, 1599, 1601, 1610, 1636, 1640, 1660, 1666, 1674, 1712, 1713 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Meyrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Meyrick Spelling Variations
The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Meyrick have included Merrick, Merick, Meyrick, Meynik and others.
Early Notables of the Meyrick family
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was
- Llewelyn ap Meyrick who fought at the Bbattle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485 for Henry Tudor
- Rowland Meyrick (1505-1566), born at Bodargan in the parish of Llangadwaladr, Anglesey, a Welsh bishop of Bangor
- John Meyrick (or Merick, Mericke, or Merrick), M.A. (1538-1599), an Anglican clergyman who served in the Church of England as the Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1576 to 1599
- Sir Gelli Meyrick (1556?-1601), Welsh supporter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, conspirator in Essex's rebellion, executed for his part the rebellion
- Maurice Meyricke (c. 1563-1640), from Anglesey, Welsh academic at the University of Oxford
- Edmund Meyrick (1636-1713), Welsh cleric and benefactor of Jesus College, Oxford where Meyrick scholarships and exhibitions are still awarded to students at Jesus College
Migration of the Meyrick family to Ireland
Some of the Meyrick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Meyrick migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Meyrick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Charles Meyrick, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 2
- Mr. Thomas Meyrick, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 3
- William Meyrick, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Salacia" in 1850 4
- Maria Meyrick, Welsh convict from Cardiff, Glamorganshire, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on October 4, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
Meyrick migration to New Zealand +
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:
Meyrick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Henry Meyrick, aged Frederick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Caroline Meyrick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- James Meyrick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- George Meyrick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Eliza Meyrick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Contemporary Notables of the name Meyrick (post 1700) +
- Sir David John Charlton Meyrick (1926-2004), 4th Baronet of Bush House, Apley Castle, Shropshire, Welsh peer
- Admiral Sir Sidney Julius Meyrick KCB (1879-1973), British Royal Navy officer, Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station (1937-1940), Naval Secretary (1932–1934)
- Kate Meyrick (1875-1933), Irish nightclub owner in 1920s London; she co-owned 43 Club at 43 Gerrard Street, Soho, London and died from influenza, three of her daughters married into the British nobility
- Edward Meyrick Goulburn (1818-1897), English churchman from London, Dean of Norwich in 1866
- William Meyrick (1808-1846), English cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1828 to 1837
- Samuel Rush Meyrick (1783-1848), English arms and armour collector, he discovered the Meyrick helmet, an Iron Age bronze peaked helmet, one of only three Iron Age helmets
- The Very Rev Cyril Jonathan Meyrick (b. 1952), English cleric, Dean of Exeter (2011-)
- Sir Timothy Thomas Charlton Meyrick (b. 1963), 5th Baronet of Bush House, Apley Castle, Shropshire, Welsh peer
- Sir Thomas Charlton Meyrick (1837-1921), 1st Baronet of Bush House, Apley Castle, Shropshire, Welsh peer
- Sir Thomas Frederick Meyrick (1899-1983), 3rd Baronet of Bush House, Apley Castle, Shropshire, Welsh peer
- ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Meyrick family +
Prince of Wales colliery
- Mr. William Meyrick (b. 1846), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 6
Citations +
