Poulleart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The notable Poulleart family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the popular religious given name, Paul. Poulleart is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes. However, this surname may have also been a nickname, taken from the Old English word poll, which means head, and the suffix -ard, which referred to something big. 1

Early Origins of the Poulleart family

The surname Poulleart was first found in Cornwall where one source claims "the barton of Trelleigh in Redruth, was 'the seat of that most ancient family or Pollard, from whence all of the of that name were descended.' " 2

We cannot verify that this is true, but it is important to note that the name was also scattered throughout Britain as in Pollardus Ostiarius who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201 on Suffolk, Pollardus Forestarius in the Curia Regis Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1207, Stepahnus filius Pollard in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 in Kent. 3

The various Pipe Rolls list: William Pollard in Surrey in 1181; Richard Pollard in Hertfordshire in 1192; and Richard Pollard in Lancashire in 1195. 1

Also of note was the Abbey of Ford, Axminster, Devon. "The Abbey passed in the first place by lease to Richard Pollard, but was afterwards bought by him. Sir John Pollard, his son, sold it to his cousin, Sir Amias Poulett ; and he to William Rosewall, Elizabeth's attorney-general." 4

"Horwood [Devon], for many years the chief residence of the Pollards, of whom one notable monument still remains in the church a fifteenth-century effigy of a lady, with three children in the folds of her robe." 4

Early History of the Poulleart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poulleart research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1465, 1539, 1540, 1556, 1557, 1603, 1616, 1640, 1641, 1666, 1667, 1681, 1701 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Poulleart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poulleart Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pollard, Pollarde, Poullard, Pawlarde and others.

Early Notables of the Poulleart family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465-1540), English jurist, son of Robert Pollard of Roborough, near Torrington, Devon; Leonard Pollard (died 1556), English divine from Nottinghamshire; Sir Lewis Pollard, 1st Baronet (died 1641) of King's Nympton, Devon; and his son, Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet (1603-1666), an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1667, he supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Sir Amyas Pollard, 3rd Baronet (1616-1701), an English gentleman of Devon; and his illegitimate son by unknown mistress, Thomas Pollard (1681-1710), of...
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Poulleart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Poulleart family to Ireland

Some of the Poulleart family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Poulleart family

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Poulleart: Anne Pollard settled with her husband John in Salem in 1630; John Pollard settled in Virginia in 1642; William Pollard settled in Virginia in 1644; Abraham Pollard settled in the Barbadoes in 1685.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital