Firby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Firby family

The surname Firby was first found in Lincolnshire where John de Ferieby was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1212. Later, William de Feriby was listed in Berkshire in 1301 and Wylliam Feraby was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 1

South Ferriby is a parish, in the union of Glandford-Brigg, N. division of the wapentake of Yarborough, parts of Lindsey, in Lincolnshire and North Ferriby is a parish, in the county of the town of Hull, union of Sculcoates, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. "A priory of Knights Templars founded here by Lord Eustace de Vesci, of Bromfleet, was, at the suppression of that order, converted into a priory of Augustine canons. " 2

Early History of the Firby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Firby research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1106, 1432, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1573, 1589, 1591, 1592, 1595, 1600 and 1613 are included under the topic Early Firby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firby Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Firby has appeared include Fereby, Ferby, Furby, Ferbie, Furbie, Fearby, Fearbie, Fireby, Firby and many more.

Early Notables of the Firby family

Distinguished members of the family include George Ferebee, or Feribye, or Ferrabee (fl. 1613), an English composer from Gloucestershire. He was the son of a Gloucestershire yeoman, was born about 1573, and matriculated at Oxford 25 Oct. 1589, aged 16. " He was a chorister of Magdalen College until 1591. He was admitted B.A. 1592, licensed to be M.A. 9 July 1595, and became vicar of Bishop's Cannings, Wiltshire. Wood relates how Ferebe found and ingeniously made use of an opportunity to display his...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Firby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firby migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Firby arrived in North America very early:

Firby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eliza Firby, who landed in Virginia in 1650 3
James Firby, who arrived in Maryland in 1654 3
Cornelius Firby, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 3

Firby migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Firby Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Firby, British Convict who was convicted in North Riding, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Joseph Firby, English convict from Westmorland, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on March 6, 1848, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Firby (post 1700) +

Brandon Firby, American actor, known for Blood Relatives (2016) and The Walking Dead (2015)
William Firby, English politician, Labour Party Councillor for Deerness Valley in County Durham
James Edmund Firby, British solicitor who ran for office in the South Ward of Hartlepool elections of 1924
Alex Firby, British two-time BAFTA Award nominated director and producer, known for Harry's Mad (1993-1996) and In the Night Garden... (2007-2008)
R. James Firby, contemporary architect who developed The Three-Layer Architecture

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land or Port Phillip, Australia in 1848 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1848