Furbishire History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Furbishire familyThe surname Furbishire was first found in Shropshire where the "surname is derived from an occupation. 'the furber' or 'furbisher.' A furbisher or scourer of armour and metals generally, found also as' furbearer.' Frobisher is the most prominent modern form of the surname." 1 "French fourhisseur, an artizan who polishes and mounts swords; a sword cutler." 2 The first record of the family was found in Leicestershire where Geoffrey le Furbisur held estates c. 1260. A few years later, Henry le Fourbissor was listed in Shropshire in 1306 and later, Richard Forbour, Forbysschour was listed in Colchester, Essex 1359-60. 3 The famed navigator Sir Martin Frobisher (1535?-1594), belonged to a family of Welsh origin, which moved from Chirk in Denbighshire. 4 Early History of the Furbishire familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furbishire research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1535, 1576, 1577, 1578, 1588, 1594, 1674 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Furbishire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Furbishire Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Furbishire are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Furbishire include: Furbisher, Frobisher, Frobishar, Frobyfar, Furbusher, Frobysher, Frobishire, Furbishire, Furbyshire, Furbisher, Furbishaw, Furber, Frobishaw, Ferbishaw, Forber and many more. Early Notables of the Furbishire familyDistinguished members of the family include Sir Martin Frobisher (c. 1535-1594), English seaman and privateer who made three voyages to the Canadian Arctic (1576, 1577, and 1578) in search of the Northwest Passage. All landed in northeastern Canada, around today's Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay... Migration of the Furbishire familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Furbishire or a variant listed above: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.
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