Clavering History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Clavering is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Clavering family lived in Essex, where they held lands and a family seat at Clavering. "The village is irregularly built, but contains some respectable houses, and the surrounding scenery is agreeably diversified. The church is a spacious and handsome edifice of stone, with an embattled tower. " 1

Early Origins of the Clavering family

The surname Clavering was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Clavering. They are said to be descended from Eustace, a Norman noble who had two sons, Serlo and John. The former built Knaresborough Castle. The latter had a son Pagan, and Eustace, the progenitor of the Clavering line.

At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 A.D. the village of Clavering held a Mill, 5 beehives, a foal, 23 goats, and a sail-less windmill. The castle, of which the moats still survive, was built before the Conquest by Robert FitzWinarc. The village was held by the Swein (Earl) of Essex. 2

Another reference has a slightly different origin of the family: "Robert Fitz-Roger, Baron of Warkworth, the ancestor of this great Norman family, was father of John, who assumed the name 'Clavering,' from a lordship in Essex, as it is said, by the appointment of King Edward I. From Sir Alan, younger brother of John, the present family is descended." 3

Early History of the Clavering family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clavering research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1592, 1607, 1620, 1629, 1630, 1648, 1649, 1656, 1658, 1668, 1672, 1698, 1702, 1707, 1714, 1715, 1727, 1731, 1734, 1741, 1762, 1848, 1850, 1866 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Clavering History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clavering Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Clavering family name include Clavering, Clafering, Claffering, Clavring and others.

Early Notables of the Clavering family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

James Clavering (1565-1630), an English merchant adventurer, Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1607 who bought an estate at Axwell House, near Blaydon on Tyne in 1629; John Clavering (c. 1592-1648); and...
John Clavering (1698-1762) of Chopwell Hall, Chopwell, formerly County Durham, was a member of a junior branch of the Clavering family. As a politician, he was Member of Parliament for Great Marlow (1...

Clavering migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Clavering family to immigrate North America:

Clavering Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Clavering, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 4

Clavering Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

T. L. Clavering, aged 50, originally from Glasgow, arrived in New York in 1904 aboard the ship "Furnessia" from Glasgow, Scotland 5
Thos I. Clavering, aged 54, originally from Glasgow, Scotland, arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "California" from Glasgow via Moville 5
Joseph Charles Clavering, aged 40, originally from London, England, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Cretic" from Liverpool, England 5
Elaine Violet Clavering, aged 31, originally from London, England, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Cretic" from Liverpool, England 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Clavering (post 1700) +

William Aloysius Clavering (1800-1872), 9th Baronet of Awell, Durham, English peer and politician, High Sheriff of Durham 1859
Thomas John Clavering (1771-1853), 8th Baronet of Awell, Durham, English peer and politician, nephew of the 7th Baronet, High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1817
Sir Henry Augustus Clavering (1824-1893), 10th Baronet of Awell, Durham, English peer, the last of the Clavering baronets
Thomas Clavering (1719-1794), 7th Baronet of Awell, Durham, English peer and politician, Member of Parliament for St.Mawes (1753-1754), Shaftesbury (1754-1761) and Durham County (1768-1790)
Lieutenant General Sir John Clavering KB (1722-1777), British army officer and diplomat, Colonel of the 52nd Regiment of Foot (1762–1777), Governor of Landguard Fort (1770–1776), Commander-in-Chief, India (1774–1777), Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed (1776–1777)
Captain Douglas Charles Clavering RN FRS (1794-1827), British officer of the British Royal Navy and Arctic explorer, eponym of Clavering Island, a large island in eastern Greenland
Archibald Clavering Gunter (1847-1907), American author, best known for authoring the novel that the film A Florida Enchantment was based upon, and for his hand in popularizing "Casey at the Bat"

The Clavering 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: Ad coelos volans
Motto Translation: Flying to the heavens.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result