| ![Show Contents]() Bluett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Bluett was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person with blue eyes, or who often wore blue clothing. The name stems from the Old French root bleuet which means "a blue woollen cloth." 1 The family claimed Briqueville-la-Blouette, in Normandy as their point of origin. This name was still represented there as "Blouet de Cahagnolles," belonging to the Bailiwick of Caen, sat in the great Assembly of the Norman nobles in 1789. 2 Early Origins of the Bluett familyThe surname Bluett was first found in Hampshire where Richard Blouet is on the Dives Roll; and Ralph Bloiet was an undertenant in the Domesday Book of 1086. He is mentioned in the Monasticon Anglicanum as a benefactor to Gloucester Abbey. 2 Robert Bloet (Bloett) (died 1123), was an early English prelate. He was Bishop of Lincoln 1093-1123 and Lord Chancellor of England (1092-1093.) He claimed descent from a Norman noble family that held Ivry in Normandy. He accompanied William the Conqueror's son, William Rufus to England from Normandy. He was brother of Hugh, Bishop of Bayeux. "When the king lay on his death-bed at Rouen, he sent Bloet to England with a letter praying Archbishop Lanfranc to crown William Rufus. Bloet crossed the Channel in company with Rufus himself, and became the new king's chancellor. After the death of Remigius in 1092, the see of Lincoln was kept vacant for a year. Rufus, however, repented of his evil ways while he lay sick at Gloucester in the spring of 1093, and at the same time that he made Anselm archbishop he gave the bishopric of Lincoln to Robert Bloet." 3 The son or grandson of this fabled Earl, Sir Roland Bluet, became Lord of Raglan in right of his wife Lucretia, and his posterity held the castle for several generations. William Bluett was summoned with other barons to march against the Welsh in 1256. 2 From these very early entry of the family, the family dispersed as seen by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listing: John Bleuit, Gloucestershire; Robert Bluet, Lincolnshire; and Walter Bluet, London. 1 "The family of Bluet is said by Camden to have come from Brittany. The name is spelt in the Battel Roll Bluet, and Bluat, and elsewhere Bloet." 4 Early History of the Bluett familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bluett research. Another 341 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1566, 1644, 1656, 1782, 1805 and 1853 are included under the topic Early Bluett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bluett Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Blewett, Blewitt, Bluet, Bluat, Bloet, Blouet, Blewit, Blewet and many more. Early Notables of the Bluett familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Ralph Bloet who was seized of the manor of Daglingworth, temp. Henry II. in Leicestershire. His son named Morgan, was elected Bishop of Durham, but was denied a dispensation by the Pope, as the canons require in case of bastardy, because he persisted to own himself the King's son, and not...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bluett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bluett family to IrelandSome of the Bluett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Bluett migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bluett or a variant listed above:
Bluett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mr. W. Bluett, (b. 1809), aged 32, Cornish farmer departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States 25 May 1841 5
- Mrs. M. Bluett, (b. 1809), aged 32, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States 25 May 1841 5
- Miss C. Bluett, (b. 1832), aged 9, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States 25 May 1841 5
- Mr. J. Bluett, (b. 1834), aged 7, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 25 May 1841 5
- Thomas Bluett, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1864
| Bluett migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Bluett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
| Bluett 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: Bluett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr Bluett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
- William Bluett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
- Adam Bluett, aged 40, a locksmith, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
- Catherine Bluett, aged 38, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
- Thomas Bluett, aged 21, a smith, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bluett (post 1700) | + |
- Lennie Bluett (1919-2016), American film actor, pianist, dancer and singer
- Rev. James Bluett, American Colonel, Command Staff Chaplain at Fort Richardson Army Base, Alaska
- Douglas Bluett (1897-1981), English Army Major General
- Grant Bluett, Australian orienteering competitor, gold medal winner at the World Games in 2001
- William James Geffrard Bluett (1834-1885), New Zealand Member of Parliament in the Canterbury Region
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: In Deo omnia
Motto Translation: In God are all things.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Brampton
 |
