Pierrpont Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Pierrpont is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pierrpont family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, is a reference to Pierrepont, near St. Sauveur in the Cotentin, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Pierrpont Early Origins

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The surname Pierrpont was first found in Sussex where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were from Pierrepont near St. Sauveur in the Cotentin in Normandy. Reginald, Geoffrey and Robert Pierpont accompanied William into England and were granted lands in Suffolk and 9,000 acres in Sussex under the Earl Warren. The family it seemed had extensive property and holdings from an early date as seen by this account: "Robert de Pierrepoint was a person of such extensive property that being made a prisoner fighting on the side of King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes [1264], he was forced to give security for the payment of then great sum of seven hundred marks for his ransom." In England, the mark never appeared as a coin but was a unit of account and was worth about 160 pence shortly after the Conquest. Based on a value of two-thirds of a pound, and converting to the price of silver, the ransom was about 267 dollars x 700 = Pierrpont186,900 USD in today's value.

Pierrpont Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Pierrponte, Pierrepont, Pierrpont, Pierrponte, Pierreponte, Pierpont, Pierponte, Pierrpoint, Pierrpointe, Pierpoint, Pierpointe, Pearpont, Pearpoint, Pearpointe, Perpoint, Perpointe and many more.

Pierrpont Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pierrpont research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1546, 1615, 1662, 1690, 1655, 1726, 1607, 1680, 1607, 1678, 1640, 1660, 1659, 1640, 1645, 1652, 1638, 1681, 1660, 1685, 1659, 1714, 1649, 1715, 1698 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Pierrpont History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pierrpont Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Pierrepont (died 1452), MP for Nottinghamshire; Henry Pierrepont (1546-1615), English MP for Nottinghamshire; William Pierrepont, 4th Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull (c. 1662-1690), British peer and Member of Parliament; Evelyn Pierrepont, 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (c. 1655-1726), Member of Parliament for...

Another 107 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pierrpont Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Pierrpont or a variant listed above: Robert Pierpont, who came to Ipswich, MA in 1648; Henry Pierpoint, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 with his wife Elizabeth and their five children; John Pierpoint, who came to Maryland or Virginia in 1718.

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pie ripone te
Motto Translation: In pious confidence.

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Citations

^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
^ Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.

Other References

Innes, Thomas and Learney. The Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland 1st Edition. Edinburgh: W & A. K. Johnston Limited, 1938. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
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The Pierrpont Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Pierrpont Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 21 January 2016 at 16:10.