Biere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The ancient history of the Biere name begins in the Middle Ages in the northern coastal region of Normandy. The name is derived from when the family resided in Bretagne, where the family held a family seat since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Biere family

The surname Biere was first found in Brittany (Bretagne) where the family held a family seat in early times. 1

Alain Bedel, a knight, is mentioned in historic documents. The members of the different branches of the family became the lords of la Reignerais, in the diocese of Saint-Brieuc, and the lords of Lairye and of Tertre, in the region of Vannes. The branch Bedel reaffirmed its title to nobility in the year 1666 in Normandy. 1

Isaac Bedard, born in 1616, was a carpenter that travelled from France to Canada on 1st May 1662 along with his wife, Marie (née Girard). Together they had three children, two of which were sons, Louis and Jacques, that carried on the family name of Bedard. Isaac died in Charlesbourg, Quebec and was buried on 15th January 1689. 2

Early History of the Biere family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biere research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1804, 1810, 1847 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Biere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biere Spelling Variations

Throughout the course of history most surnames have undergone changes for many reasons. During the early development of the French language, a son and father may not have chosen to spell their name the same way. Many are simple spelling changes by a person who gave his name, phonetically, to a scribe, priest, or recorder. Many names held prefixes or suffixes which became optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, we have many spelling variations of this name, Biere some of which are Bédel, Bedel, Bedeau, Bedaux, Bedaud, Bédard, Bedard, Bédat, Bedat, Bédarieux, Bédarrieux, Bédarride, Bédarridat, Dubédel, Dubedel, Dubedeau, Dubedaux, Dubedaud, Dubedat and many more.

Early Notables of the Biere family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biere migration to the United States +

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, Acadia were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Biere were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Biere were

Biere Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin Biere, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 3

Biere Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Bernhard Biere, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Neptune"
Mrs. Johanne Biere, (nee Jaupen), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Neptune"
Miss Louise Biere, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Neptune"

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. 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)