Meres History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Meres surname is thought to derive from either the Old English word "mere," meaning "pond," or from "maere," which meant "boundary." In either case, the name was probably topographic, taken on by someone who lived near one these features. Early Origins of the Meres familyThe surname Meres was first found in Somerset at Meare, a village and civil parish in the union of Wells, hundred of Glaston-Twelve-Hides, north west of Glastonbury. Nearby is Meare Lake Village, the site of an Iron Age settlement. The Abbot's Fish House was built in the 14th century when Adam of Sodbury was the abbot of Glastonbury Abbey. One of the first records of the place name was as Mere, which was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 The place name literally means "place at the pool or lake." 2 Ancient rolls include various early spellings: Robert atte Mere was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1269 and Adam del Mere was recorded in Yorkshire in 1307. 3 Early History of the Meres familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meres research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1634, 1659 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Meres History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Meres Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Meares, Mear, Mears, Meer, Meere and others. Early Notables of the Meres familyNotables of this surname at this time include:
Migration of the Meres family to IrelandSome of the Meres family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Meres familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Elizabeth, Robert, Henry, John, Samuel Meares all settled in Boston in 1635; Henry Meares settled in Virginia in 1635; Humphrey and his wife Anne settled in Virginia in 1653.
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