The name Merray arrived in
England after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Merray family lived in
Norfolk. Their name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066, Meret, Normandy.
Early Origins of the Merray family
The surname Merray was first found in
Norfolk. However, some of the family were found at Stow-Maries in
Essex. "This parish takes the adjunct to its name from the family of Marey, to whom the lands at one time belonged."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Merray family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merray research.
Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1682 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Merray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Merray Spelling Variations
A multitude of
spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to
England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Merry, Mirrey, Merrie, Mirrie and others.
Early Notables of the Merray family (pre 1700)
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Merray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Merray family to Ireland
Some of the Merray family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 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 Merray family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families left
England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Merray or a variant listed above: Savage Merrie settled in Virginia in 1637; John Merrie settled in St. Christopher in 1633; John Merry later moved to Virginia in 1643; Thomas Merry settled in Virginia in 1654.