Levers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Levers date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the township of Great Lever in Lancashire as well as in Little Lever the chapelry in the parish of Bolton in Lancashire. The Levers family were industrialists and millers, perhaps giving rise to the modern city of Liverpool, from their own Leaver's Port.

Early Origins of the Levers family

The surname Levers was first found in Lancashire at Little Lever, now a large village in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester. Great Lever, a township nearby "was long held by the family of Lever, but in the 6th year of Edward IV., Sir Rauff Assheton, Knt., sued out a 'write of right of warde' against Roger Lever, for the recovery of the manor, and obtained judgment against him at the assizes of Lancaster. Lever, however, with a number of dependants of his name, and a large concourse of persons, many of whom had been outlawed, riotously broke into Lancaster Castle, and carried off the record of recovery. Sir Rauff complaining of this outrage to the two houses of parliament, they ordained that the copy of the record which was annexed to his petition should be of the same force and efficacy as the original; and the justices thereupon ordered execution to issue, and reinstated him in the possession, which, notwithstanding, was not undisturbed until some time after. " [1]

The village's name was derived from the Old English word "laefre," which means "place where the rushes grow." [2] The first listing of the place name was found in 1212 when it was listed as Parua Lefre. [2] Nearby is Darcy Lever which was the ancestral home of the D'Arcy family since 1590.

Early History of the Levers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Levers research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1551, 1553 and 1577 are included under the topic Early Levers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Levers Spelling Variations

Levers has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Levers have been found, including Lever, Leaver, Leyver and others.

Early Notables of the Levers family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Levers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Levers migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Levers Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Isabella Levers, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Agincourt" [3]
Isabella Levers, aged 22, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Agincourt" in 1850 [3]
Mr. Edward Levers, (b. 1828), aged 21, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 26th March 1849, sentenced for 9 years for stealing horses, transported aboard the ship "St Vincent" on 28th December 1852 to Van Dieman's Land, Tasmania, Australia [4]
Mr. Edward Levers, (b. 1828), aged 21 born in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK convicted in Bodmin on 26th March 1849, sentenced for 10 years for stealing horses, transported aboard the ship "St. Vincent" in 1853 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia [5]
Mr. Joseph Levers, (b. 1834), aged 23, Cornish agricultural labourer travelling aboard the ship "Vocalist" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 28th August 1857 [6]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Levers migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Levers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Fanny E. Levers (Severs), (b. 1850), aged 24, English settler from Glouchestershire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 [7]
Miss Ellen G. Levers, (b. 1852), aged 22, English settler from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 [7]

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The AGINCOURT 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Agincourt.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html