Sear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Sear was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sear family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to Serez, Normandy or at the Ville of Sayers, Normandy according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 1
Alternatively, two sources claims the name was derived from an Anglo-Norman "personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester" or was perhaps "a forgotten personal name that has left an indelible mark on our directories. From twenty to twenty-five surnames separately spelt are the offspring, and many have a large number of representatives. The name was popular so early as Domesday as Segar and Sigar, and Latinized as Sigarus. " 2
One source believes the family was "an assayer of metals. 'When Domesday was compiled, there was always a fire ready in the Exchequer, and if they liked not the allay of the money, they burnt it, and then weighed it.' Hence the expression in Domesday, ' Lib. LVI arsas et pensatas'-56lb. burnt and weighed.-Kelham's Domesday, p. 157. The Sayer would therefore be a crown officer who assayed the precious metals." 3
Early Origins of the Sear family
The surname Sear was first found in Essex where "the name of an old Colchester family of wealth and municipal consequence, " 4 some say from the reign of King Edmund Ironside in 1016, but this date conflicts with the more likely source of Serez, in the arrondisement of Evreux in Normandy, supporting the contention that the family was granted these lands after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "During the 14th century the Sayer family of Coppeford held of the King 82 acres of land in the village of Lachingdon." 4
They held a family seat there continuously from the Conquest to 1770.
"As Sayer and Sayere it occurred in Norfolk, Beds, and Hants in the 13th century. The Sayers of Pulham, Norfolk, an ancient family, from which the Sayers of Eye, Suffolk, are derived, were lords of the manor of Pulham in the 17th and 18th centuries." 4
Early History of the Sear family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sear research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1630 is included under the topic Early Sear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sear Spelling Variations
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 Sears, Seares, Seers, Seeres, Sear, Seare, Seer and many more.
Early Notables of the Sear family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Migration of the Sear family to Ireland
Some of the Sear family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Sear migration to the United States +
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 Sear or a variant listed above:
Sear Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Sear, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 5
Sear Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Corrie Sear, aged 18, who settled in America from Tring, England, in 1909
- Arthur Whittall Sear, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1913
- Frances S. Sear, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Salisbury, Wilts., England, in 1916
- Catherine Sear, aged 43, who landed in America from London, England, in 1920
- Harold Sear, aged 21, who settled in America, in 1921
Sear migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Sear Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Alfred Sear, aged 38, who immigrated to Fort William, Canada, in 1913
- Ethel Mary Sear, aged 37, who immigrated to Fort William, Canada, in 1913
Sear migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Sear Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- James P. Sear, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 6
Sear 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:
Sear Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr Sear, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1843
Contemporary Notables of the name Sear (post 1700) +
- Morey Leonard Sear (1929-2004), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (2000-2004)
- Walter Edmond Sear (1930-2010), American recording engineer, instrument importer and instrument designer
- Tamsin "Tammy" Sear (b. 1977), British former competitive figure skater, the first British female figure skater to land a triple lutz
- Helen Sear (b. 1955), Welsh photographic artist
- Cliff Sear (1936-2000), Welsh football left back
The Sear Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Honor et fides
Motto Translation: Honor and fidelity.
Citations +
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm