Gregorie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Gregorie comes from the personal name Gregory.[1]

Gregory the Great (d. 889), Grig, king of Scotland, "was the seventy-third king according to the fictitious chronology of Fordoun and Buchanan, but according to Skene's rectified list, the fifth king of the united kingdom of Scone, which Kenneth MacAlpine founded in 844. " [2]

Gregory of Caergwent or Winchester (fl. 1270), was an English historian who entered the monastery of St. Peter's at Gloucester, according to his own account, on 29 Oct. 1237, and is stated to have lived there for sixty years. [2]

Gregory of Huntingdon (fl. 1290), was an English "monk of Ramsey, of which abbey he is said to have been prior for thirty-eight years, is described as a man of much learning, acquainted with Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. " [2]

Early Origins of the Gregorie family

The surname Gregorie was first found in Leicestershire where "this family is traced to John Gregory, Lord of the manors of Freseley and Asfordby, who married Maud, daughter of Sir Roger Moton, of Peckelton, knight; his son Richard Gregory, of the same places, died in the year 1292. " [3]

Another source confirms this origin in that Willelmus filius Gregorii was listed in Leicestershire 1143-1177. [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included a listing for Peter Gregory in Bedfordshire; Elyas filius Gregor, Cambridgeshire; Peter Gregory, Bedfordshire; and Richard filius Gregorii, Buckinghamshire. [5]

Later the Assize Rolls for Somerset listed John Grigory there in 1280. John Gregory held land in Sussex, according to the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. [4]

"Derbyshire is the great home of the Gregorys, who, however, are also established in different parts of the country, Northamptonshire ranking next to Derbyshire in this respect, but they are rare or absent in the east of England and in the northernmost counties. In Derbyshire they have been established for many centuries; the Eyam family of Gregory carry their descent back to the times of Edward II. A Warwickshire family of the name begin their pedigree with John Gregory, lord of the manors of Fresely and Asfordby, Leicestershire, in the 13th century; and about that time the name was also to be found in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire." [6]

Up in Scotland, "several early Scots bishops bore this name, appropriate for the overseer of a church. Gregorius Duncheldensis, episcopus, c. 1150; Gregorius episcopus de Ros, 1171-84; Gregorius Moraviensis episcopus, 1150." [7]

Furthermore in Scotland, the name "may be derived from Gregor, as some of the Clan M'Gregor changed their name to Gregory, when the Clan was proscribed and outlawed." [8]

Early History of the Gregorie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gregorie research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1569, 1633, 1651, 1451, 1625, 1696, 1678, 1677, 1646, 1691, 1638, 1675, 1598, 1652, 1625, 1720, 1664 and are included under the topic Early Gregorie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gregorie 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 Gregorie has appeared include Gregory, Gregorie, Gregorey and others.

Early Notables of the Gregorie family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Charles Gregory, Lord Mayor of London in 1451; Sir William Gregory (1625-1696), a British judge and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1678, he purchased the manor and estate of How Caple, Herefordshire in 1677; Edmund Gregory (fl. 1646, died 1691), was an English author...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gregorie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gregorie family to Ireland

Some of the Gregorie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gregorie 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 Gregorie arrived in North America very early:

Gregorie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Gregorie, aged 24, British settler who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Abraham" [9]
Ben Gregorie, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Primrose" [9]
Tho Gregorie, aged 15, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe" [9]

Gregorie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Gregorie, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1758 [9]

The Gregorie 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: Vigilanter
Motto Translation: Watchfully.

Citations +

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
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. 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)