Purfry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Purfry

What does the name Purfry mean?

The Purfry family name dates back to 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England introduced a plethora of new names and words into Britain. It comes from an early member of the family 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 Purfry family

The surname Purfry 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 Purfry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purfry 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 Purfry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purfry Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Purefoy, Purefield, Purefree, Purefrey, Purfrey, Purfry and many more.

Early Notables of the Purfry family

William 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 Purfry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Purfry family to Ireland

Some of the Purfry 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.

Purfry migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Purfry or a variant listed above:

Purfry Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lt. Thomas Purfry, aged 43, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "George" 4

Sources +

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
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)