Fitzhurbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Fitzhurbert is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Fitzhurbert is a name that comes from the English, French, and German personal name Herbert, is made up of the elements, heri, which means army, and berht, which means bright. The prefix Fitz indicated that the bearer was the son of someone named Herbert.

Early Origins of the Fitzhurbert family

The surname Fitzhurbert was first found in Derbyshire where this ancient Norman house was seated at Norbury, by the grant of the Prior of Tutbury in 1125. 1 The family assumed their surname from a Norman knight who appeared in the honor rolls of the Battle of Hastings.

"Herbert Fitz-Herbert is said to have come into England with the Conqueror. His descendants settled at Norbury, co. Derby, in 1125, and are still, I believe, possessors of the estate." 2

Today Norbury is a town in the London Borough of Croydon and the London Borough of Merton, but anciently it was home to the Fitzherberts and the Carew family which they shared from 1385 and 1859.

Saint William Fitzherbert (d. 1154), Archbishop of York and Saint, "is also called sometimes William of Thwayt and most commonly Saint William of York. He was of noble birth, and brought up in luxury, but of his father Herbert very little is certainly known. John of Hexham calls him Herbert of Winchester, and says that he had been treasurer of Henry I.

Many of William's kinsfolk lived in Yorkshire, and his elder brother Herbert held lands there, to which he apparently succeeded about 1140. William himself probably became treasurer and canon of York before 1130, at latest before 1138. " 3

Robert Fitzhubert (fl. 1140) was a "freebooter, and is first mentioned in 1139. His origin is not known, but he is spoken of as a kinsman of William of Ypres, and as one of those Flemish mercenaries who had flocked to England at Stephen's call. On 7 Oct. 1139 he surprised by night the castle of Malmesbury, which the king had seized from the Bishop of Salisbury a few months before, and burnt the village. The royal garrison of the castle fled for refuge to the abbey, but Robert soon pursued them thither, and, entering the chapter-house at the head of his followers, demanded that the fugitives should be handed over. The terrified monks with difficulty induced him to be content with the surrender of their horses." 3

Tissington Hall in Tissington, Derbyshire was garrisoned for Charles I. by its owner, Col. Fitzherbert, in 1643.

"The church [of Tissington] is partly Norman, and partly of later date, with a tower, and contains handsome memorials to the Fitzherbert family." 4

Early History of the Fitzhurbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fitzhurbert research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1470, 1483, 1534, 1538, 1550, 1552, 1612, 1640, 1778 and 1922 are included under the topic Early Fitzhurbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fitzhurbert Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled FitzHerbert, Fitz-Herbert, Fitzherbert and others.

Early Notables of the Fitzhurbert family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Ralph Fitzherbert (died 1483), Lord of the manor of Norbury, Derbyshire; Sir Anthony Fitzherbert (1470-1538), an English judge, scholar and legal author, best known for his treatise on English...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitzhurbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fitzhurbert family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Fitzhurbert or a variant listed above were: Richard Fitzherbert arrived in Pennsylvania in 1862.

The Fitzhurbert 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: Ung je servirai
Motto Translation: One will I serve.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.