| ![Show Contents]() Purefry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of PurefryWhat does the name Purefry mean? The name Purefry thought to be of Norman heritage. It is a name for a person who was a man of true faith. The name was originally derived from the Old French purefei, meaning one who was staunch and true and by my faith "The present spelling is a popular etymology, 'pure faith', which arose when per, par and pur fell together in pronunciation. " 1 Early Origins of the Purefry familyThe surname Purefry was first found in Staffordshire where the Feet of Fines list William Parfei in 1195 and Henry Parfei in the Assize Rolls of 1203. Later in Sussex, Robert Parfoy was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1296. In Warwickshire, William Purfey was listed there in the 13th century. Again in Sussex, we found Ralph Perfai in 1327 and Ralph Parfay in 1332. Later again, William Purefay was found in Leicestershire in 1412. 1 "The family were seated at Misterton, co. Leicester, in 1277. The motto borne by one branch is 'Pure foy est ma joie.'" 2 Early History of the Purefry familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purefry research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1580, 1617, 1627, 1628, 1631, 1649 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Purefry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Purefry Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Purefoy, Purefield, Purefree, Purefrey, Purfrey, Purfry and many more. Early Notables of the Purefry familyWilliam Purefoy (c.1580-1659) who was appointed to the High Court of Justice that tried and condemned King Charles I in 1649. He was eldest son of Francis Purefoy (d. 1617), and was elected Member of Parliament for Coventry (1627-1628) and Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1631. He joined in the signing of the death-warrant of Charles I. 3
Robert Warton...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Purefry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Purefry family to IrelandSome of the Purefry 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 Purefry familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Purefry or a variant listed above were: Lieutenant Purfrey who settled in Virginia in 1623; Lucy Purefoy, who settled in Virginia in 1629; Samuell Purefoy, who came to St. Christopher (New England) in 1633.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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