Show ContentsGrueer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first family to use the name Grueer lived in the area that was once the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It is a name for a brewster or brewer. Grueer is an occupational name, given to someone who held the occupation of a brewer of ale. The inclusion of the feminine suffix -ster, indicates that this was originally a woman's occupation. Members of the Grueer family were originally found in Lanarkshire, where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest, in 1066.

Early Origins of the Grueer family

The surname Grueer was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. The Scord of Brouster is one of the earliest Neolithic farm sites in Shetland, Scotland dating back to 2220 BC. Some of the earliest records of the family include: Nicholaus, braciator regis (i.e. the king's brewer), was present at the perambulation of lands in 1219; Johannes the 'braciator' was one of the 'native men' of the Abbey of Dunfermline in the thirteenth century; and Thomas le Breuester of the forest of Passeley in the county of Lanark rendered homage in 1296. 1

Early History of the Grueer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grueer research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379, 1382, 1480, 1560, 1599, 1620, 1623, 1644, 1645, 1653, 1656, 1659, 1663, 1671, 1674, 1698 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Grueer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grueer Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Grueer include Brewster, Broster, Brouster, Brewester, Brostar and many more.

Early Notables of the Grueer family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Robert Brewster (1599-1663), an English politician and officer who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1659, he was a general in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War; Francis Brewster (1623- 1671), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1653 and 1656; and Elder William Brewster (c.1560-1644), Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher born in Doncaster...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grueer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Grueer family to Ireland

Some of the Grueer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 65 words (5 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 Grueer family

Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Grueer were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown: William Brewster who arrived in the " Mayflower" and settled in Plymouth in 1620, where he was the religious leader of the Plymouth Colony. He was from the Essex branch of the family, and one of his descendants was Henry Calvin Brewster of Rochester, New York..



  1. 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)


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