Arker Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Arker reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Arker family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Arker is a name for a bowman, and derives from the French L'Archer of the same meaning.

Arker Early Origins

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The surname Arker was first found in Warwickshire, where "Fulbert L'Archer, the patriarch of the Lords Archer of Umberslade, in the county of Warwick, appears among the warriors at Hastings, who received recompense from the victor. His son, Robert L'Archer, obtained additions to his territorial possessions by grant from Henry I., whose tutor he had been, and still further increased his patrimony by marrying Sebit, daughter of Henry of Villiers, and thus acquiring the lands of Umberslade." Robert Larchier was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire and Warwickshire in 1166. Hugh le Archer was listed in the Feet of Fines of Cheshire in 1199. Odo le Archer was listed in Devon during the reign of Henry III and John le Archer was listed in Yorkshire in the reign of Edward I. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1237 list Thomas le Archer in Derbyshire.

Arker Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Archer, Archar, Arsher, Arsher, Arshire, Archere and many more.

Arker Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arker research. Another 547 words (39 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1210, 1214, 1273, 1350, 1296, 1856, 1861, 1598, 1682, 1581, 1662, 1640, 1619, 1685, 1659 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Arker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arker Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Baron Archer of Umberslade; John Archer (1598-1682), an English judge from Essex; Sir Simon Archer (1581-1662), an English antiquary and politician who sat...

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Arker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arker In Ireland

Some of the Arker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Arker or a variant listed above: Samuel Archer who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1630; just ten years after the "Mayflower." He was appointed Marshall in 1650. Henry Archer was another settler in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1639.

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: Sola bona quae honesta
Motto Translation: Those things only are good which are honest.

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Citations

^ Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-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)

Other References

Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Foster, Joseph. Dictionary of Heraldry Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees. London: Bracken Books, 1989. Print. (ISBN 1-85170-309-8).
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Elster, Robert J. International Who's Who. London: Europa/Routledge. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
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The Arker Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Arker Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 14 September 2015 at 14:08.