| ![Show Contents]() Seer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
When the ancestors of the Seer family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to Serez, Normandy or at the Ville of Sayers, Normandy according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 1 Alternatively, two sources claims the name was derived from an Anglo-Norman "personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester" or was perhaps "a forgotten personal name that has left an indelible mark on our directories. From twenty to twenty-five surnames separately spelt are the offspring, and many have a large number of representatives. The name was popular so early as Domesday as Segar and Sigar, and Latinized as Sigarus. " 2 One source believes the family was "an assayer of metals. 'When Domesday was compiled, there was always a fire ready in the Exchequer, and if they liked not the allay of the money, they burnt it, and then weighed it.' Hence the expression in Domesday, ' Lib. LVI arsas et pensatas'-56lb. burnt and weighed.-Kelham's Domesday, p. 157. The Sayer would therefore be a crown officer who assayed the precious metals." 3 Early Origins of the Seer familyThe surname Seer was first found in Essex where "the name of an old Colchester family of wealth and municipal consequence, " 4 some say from the reign of King Edmund Ironside in 1016, but this date conflicts with the more likely source of Serez, in the arrondisement of Evreux in Normandy, supporting the contention that the family was granted these lands after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. "During the 14th century the Sayer family of Coppeford held of the King 82 acres of land in the village of Lachingdon." 4 They held a family seat there continuously from the Conquest to 1770. "As Sayer and Sayere it occurred in Norfolk, Beds, and Hants in the 13th century. The Sayers of Pulham, Norfolk, an ancient family, from which the Sayers of Eye, Suffolk, are derived, were lords of the manor of Pulham in the 17th and 18th centuries." 4 Early History of the Seer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seer research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1630 is included under the topic Early Seer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Seer Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Seer has been recorded under many different variations, including Sears, Seares, Seers, Seeres, Sear, Seare, Seer and many more. Early Notables of the Seer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Seer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Seer family to Ireland
Some of the Seer 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.
| Seer migration to the United States | + |
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Seers were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:
Seer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Andreas Seer, aged 11, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1874 5
- Barbara Seer, aged 40, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1874 5
- Carl Seer, aged 3, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1874 5
- Caroline Seer, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1874 5
- Christine Seer, aged 8, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1874 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Seer migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Seer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Seer, (b. 1787), aged 51, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 10th August 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
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: Honor et fides
Motto Translation: Honor and fidelity.
- 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)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
- Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
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Seer migration to the United States 
Seer migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
