Prews History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Prews. It was given to a proud, haughty, or brave being derived from the Old French word prous.

Early Origins of the Prews family

The surname Prews was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. However, some remained in Normandy as Drogon Prose was listed there in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae (1180-1195.) 1

Early History of the Prews family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prews research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1608 is included under the topic Early Prews History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prews Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Prouse, Prouze, Prowse, Prowze, Prouz, Prowes and others.

Early Notables of the Prews family

More information is included under the topic Early Prews Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prews family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Prews or a variant listed above: George Prouse who settled in Virginia in 1624; Emblence Prouse settled in Virginia in 1639; Germaine Prouse settled in New York in 1775; John Prowse settled in Virginia in 1639..

Citations +

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)