Urby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Urby reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Urby family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Urby family lived in Lincolnshire, at Irby by the Marsh, or Irby, a township, in the parishes of Thurstaston and Woodchurch, union, and Lower division of the hundred, of Wirrall in Cheshire. "The manor was given to the convent of St. Werburgh in 1093, and continued in the possession of that establishment until the Dissolution, when it was granted to the Dean and Chapter of the new diocese of Chester." 1

Early Origins of the Urby family

The surname Urby was first found in Lincolnshire at Irby by the Marsh, a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district which dates back to c. 1115 when it was listed as Irebi. Irby upon Humber or Irby-on-Humber is a small village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire. This parish dates back further to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Iribi. 2

Other locals include: Irby, a village on the Wirral Peninsula; Ireby, a village in Cumbria; and Ireby, a small hamlet and civil parish bordering on Lancashire and North Yorkshire. The place name is believed to literally mean "farmstead or village of the Irishmen," having derived from the Old Scandinavian name "Irar" + "by." 3

The first record of the family was found in Lincolnshire where Hugh, Ailsi de Yrebi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1193 and later in the Pipe Rolls for Cumbria (Cumberland) in 1195. William de Irby was found in Yorkshire in 1280 and later, Richard Yrby was in Gloucestershire in 1341. 4

Edward Irby, (1676-1718) was Member of Parliament for Boston, and was created a Baronet, of Whaplode and Boston in the County of Lincoln, in the Baronetage of England on 13 April 1704. This peerage was elevated to Baron Boston, of Boston in the County of Lincoln in 1761 and continues today.

Early History of the Urby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Urby research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1068, 1114, 1547, 1577, 1589, 1605, 1610, 1622, 1625, 1676, 1681, 1702, 1707, 1708 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Urby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urby Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Irby, Irbey, Irbie, Irbye and others.

Early Notables of the Urby family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Anthony Irby (1547-1625), English Master of Chancery, Recorder and Member of Parliament for Boston between 1589 and 1622; Sir Anthony Irby (1577-1610), English Member of Parliament...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Urby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Urby family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Urby name or one of its variants: Walter Irby, who came to Virginia in 1652; William Irby, who was on record in Virginia in 1714; and Robert Irby, also on record in Virginia in 1715.

The Urby Motto +

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 fidelitatis praemium
Motto Translation: Honor, the reward of fidelity.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)