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![Show Contents]() Gairson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Gairson reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Gairson family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gairson family lived in Garston, Lancashire, a hamlet on the river Mersey. Here they held the title of Lords of the Manor of Garston, and from it took their name. There are several other locations so named in England and any individual case of the name may be a reference to the bearer's residence in one of these other places. The name of Garston, Lancashire derives from the Old English elements great, which means large or imposing, and stan, which means stone. Other places named Garston generally derive from the Old English elements goers or grass, which means grass, and tun, which means enclosure or settlement. This is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. Early Origins of the Gairson familyThe surname Gairson was first found in Lancashire where they were Lords of the manor of Garston, a small hamlet on the Mersey. "At a very early period this place gave name to a local family, of whom Adam de Gerstan died in 1265." 1 However, the first record was of Matthew de Garston who held land at Garston and the fourth part of the fishing on the River Mersey in 1130. Matthew was succeeded by Henry whose daughter Albrera gave to Henry of Walton one bovate of land. Gilbert de Garston also gave a bovate of land in Garston in 1199 to Roger, son of Osbertus of Aynosdale. Involved in this transaction was John, Earl of Morton, who confirmed this grant when he ascended the throne, King John. Early History of the Gairson familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gairson research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1640 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Gairson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gairson Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Garstone, Garston, Garstin, Garstine and others. Early Notables of the Gairson familyAnother 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gairson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Gairson family to Ireland
Some of the Gairson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gairson familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Gairson name or one of its variants: Joseph Garston who settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1753.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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England
Ireland
