Cheeray Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Cheeray arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cheeray family lived in Lincolnshire. They are descended from the line of the House of De Cheries, Seigneurs of Brauvel, Beauval, in Normandy, near Avranches. The name Cheeray is derived from the Anglo Norman French word, cherise, which means cherry, and was probably used to indicate a landmark, such as a cherry tree, which distinguished the location bearing the name.

Cheeray Early Origins

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The surname Cheeray was first found in Derbyshire, The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list William Chirie. A few years later in 1284, the Assize Rolls of Lancashire list Rober Chyry. The Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk list Richard Chery in 1524.

Cheeray Spelling Variations

A 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 Cherry, Cherrie, Cherrey, Cherries, Chery, Chearie, Chearry, Cherie and many more.

Cheeray Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheeray research. Another 395 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1348, 1368, 1484, 1509, 1524, 1665, 1713, 1683 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Cheeray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheeray Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cheeray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheeray In Ireland

Some of the Cheeray family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 101 words (7 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

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 Cheeray or a variant listed above: John Cherry landed in America in Virginia in 1637; Franc. Cherry, who arrived in Virginia in 1643; Richard Cherry, who arrived in Virginia in 1655; William Cherry, who came to Virginia in 1659.

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: Cheris l'espoir
Motto Translation: Cherish hope.

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Citations

^ 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

Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Virkus, Frederick A. Ed. Immigrant Ancestors A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America Before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1964. Print.
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Mills, A.D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4).
Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The Cheeray Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Cheeray 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 21 September 2015 at 10:58.