The name Measure arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person employed in reaping or harvesting. The name can be traced to the Old French word messier, which meant harvester.
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Early Origins of the Measure family
The surname Measure was first found in Lincolnshire where they were one of the noted families of the area. Roger Messer was the first on record in Lincolnshire, in 1172, a little over a century after the Conquest. In 1180 Erkenbald Messer was recorded in the same county. At about the same time Jacobus Mesoart was registered in Normandy. Early in their history a branch of this family moved to Scotland.
Early History of the Measure family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Measure research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1296 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Measure History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Measure Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Messer, Mesher, Messor, Mersser, Masar, Messier, Meisser, Measure and many more.
Early Notables of the Measure family
More information is included under the topic Early Measure Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Measure family
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Measure or a variant listed above: James Messer arrived in Virginia in 1653; Sylvester Messer arrived in America from England in 1701 with his wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters; Carolina Messer arrived in Quebec in 1850.
