The name Amram was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old French word amauri, which means work-rule or perhaps "valiant and diligent ruler." [1]
The surname Amram was first found in Tours in Normandy, where the name was spelt D'Amery, or Amaury the delicate of Pontoisse, and they settled in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. [2] Consequently, the name was listed as in the Lating form, Haimericus in the Domesday Book. [3]
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family: Roger Ammary in Bedfordshire. [4]
"One branch of this ancient house was long seated at Yatt, co. Gloucester; and another has migrated to the United States, where the name and family of Amory are well known and esteemed." [5]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amram research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1207, 1221, 1691 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Amram History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Amory, Emery, Amery, Ammory, Ammery, Emry and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Amory (1691-1788), an English-Irish writer best known for his book "Life of John Buncle," and Amory of Knightshaven. He was the son of Councillor Amory, who accompanied William III to Ireland, was made secretary for the...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Amram Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Amram 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.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Amram or a variant listed above were: Thomas Emry, who was among the first group of immigrants to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; Rebecca Emry, who settled in Maryland in 1664; Thomas Amory, who migrated to South Carolina and became Advocate General and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lord Palatine in 1690.