• Origins Available:
• England
• Scotland

Norrie is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a person from the north. The surname is usually derived from the Anglo-French words noreis and norreis, which both mean northerner. ^[1] Occasionally, Norrie is an occupational name for a nurse; in this case, the derivation is from the Old French word norrice, which means nurse. Lastly, the surname Norrie is sometimes a local surname for a "dweller at the north house." ^[2]

Early Origins of the Norrie family

The surname Norrie was first found in Hampstead Norreys (Hampstead Norris), a village and civil parish in Berkshire. Dating back to the Domesday Book, where it was listed as Hanstede ^[3], the village is today still noted for its Norman parish church and the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle nearby.

The village name's changed to Hampstede Norreys, when the Norreys family bought the manor in 1448. A branch of the family was found in Speke, Lancashire where at one time they held Speke Hall. "The Norris family had, however, before this begun to acquire lands in the township, Alan le Norreys of Speke being apparently the first to do so. A younger son of Alan, John le Norreys, established himself at Woolton. John's elder son John, who succeeded, is mentioned in the settlement made by Sir Henry le Norreys in 1367." ^[4]

In the 14th century, some of the family were found in West Derby, Lancashire. "The Norris family had an estate here in the fourteenth century, acquired by William, a younger son of John le Norreys of Speke. It descended in the fifteenth century to Thomas Norris, whose daughter and heir Lettice married her distant cousin Thomas Norris of Speke, and so carried the estate back to the parent stock. One of their grandsons, William Norris, was settled here, his estate remaining with his descendants to the end of the seventeenth century. The family remained constant to the Roman Church and had to face loss and suffering in consequence, especially during the Commonwealth; thus the threat of a fresh outbreak of persecution as a result of the Oates plot appears to have broken the resolution of 'Mr. Norris of Derby,' who conformed to the legally established religion in 1681. Norris Green is supposed to indicate the site of their estate." ^[4]

"From the de Erneys it came, also by marriage, to the family of Norres, of whom was Sir William Norres, who brought from the palace of Holyrood, at Edinburgh, part of the royal library and some curious pieces of fine oak wainscot, to Speke Hall: this mansion was re-erected by Sir Edward Norres. The family retained the manor until the 18th century, when their heiress married Lord Sidney Beauclerk, fifth son of Charles, Duke of St. Alban's; whose grandson, Charles George, sold Speke to the Watt family. The great hall is very lofty, with wainscot and a ceiling of oak, and having a mantelpiece brought from Holyrood: at each angle of the southern wall, within the court, are two spacious corbelled windows, one of which lights the hall. The house was originally surrounded by a moat, of which the outlines remain, and over which a bridge leads to the principal entrance. The whole forms a highly interesting specimen of old English domestic architecture." ^[5]

Important Dates for the Norrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norrie research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1481, 1564, 1777, 1405, 1450, 1433, 1507, 1525, 1601, 1572, 1579, 1622, 1622, 1603, 1658, 1702, 1670, 1749, 1675, 1711, 1671, 1735, 1724, 1575, 1584, 1597, 1599 and are included under the topic Early Norrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norrie Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Norrie has been recorded under many different variations, including Norreys, Norris, Norres, Norrice, Norrish and others.

Early Notables of the Norrie family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Lady Alice Norreys (c. 1405-1450), an English Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter; Sir William Norreys (1433-1507), a famous Lancastrian soldier, and later an Esquire of the Body to King Edward IV; Henry Norris "Norreys" (1525-1601), created 1st Baron Norreys in 1572; Francis Norris (1579-1622), 2nd Baron Norreys, who was made Earl of Berkshire and Viscount Thame in 1622, one day...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Norrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Norrie family to Ireland

Some of the Norrie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 147 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norrie migration to the United States

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Norrie or a variant listed above:

Norrie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Savage Norrie, who settled in Virginia in 1635
• Robert Norrie, who settled in Georgia in 1698

Norrie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Catherine Norrie, who arrived in New England in 1804
• Adam Norrie, who arrived in America in 1820
• Adam Norrie, who arrived in New York, NY in 1833 ^[6]

Norrie migration to Australia

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

Norrie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Ann Norrie, aged 25, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"

Norrie 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:

Norrie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Rev. Thomas Norrie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th October 1855 ^[7]
• Mrs. Elizabeth Norrie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th October 1855 ^[7]
• M.E. Norrie, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Kingston" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 29th December 1858 ^[7]
• Miss Ann Norrie, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Kingston" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 29th December 1858 ^[7]
• Mrs. Ann Norrie, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Kingston" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 29th December 1858 ^[7]
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Norrie (post 1700)

• Christine Norrie, American comic book artist, known for her work on the graphic novel
• David Doherty Norrie (b. 1963), former American major college and professional football player
• Bill Norrie (b. 1929), Canadian politician and academic, former Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, current Chancellor of the University of Manitoba
• Kenneth McKenzie Norrie, Scottish Professor of Law at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
• Margaret Rosamond Fawcett Norrie (1905-1983), Canadian politician, Liberal party member of the Senate of Canada
• Eleanor Elizabeth Tucker Norrie (b. 1942), Canadian former teacher, restaurant owner and politician in Nova Scotia, Canada
• Gordon Norrie (1855-1941), Danish surgeon and ophthalmologist
• Kenneth Harold Norrie (b. 1946), Canadian economic historian
• Bryan Norrie (b. 1983), Australian rugby league footballer
• Lt. Gen. Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie (1893-1977), 1st Baron Norrie, British Army general during World War II, Governor-General of New Zealand between 1952 and 1957

You May Also Like

Citations

1. ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
2. ^ Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
3. ^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
4. ^ 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
5. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
6. ^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
7. ^ New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html