Lance Perry

The name Perry was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Perry family lived in Hampshire. Their name, however, is a reference to the Old English word “perie,” meaning “pear tree,” and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived near such a landmark.

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Historians have studied documents such as the Domesday Book, compiled by William I of England, in search of the first record of the Perry surname. It has been determined that the Perry name is of Norman origin, and was first found in Hampshire 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. Over the centuries the spelling of the Perry surname has changed and developed. Perry appears in the records spelled as Perry, Perrie, with spelling variations even occurring in documents referring to the same person. There are several explanations for this situation. Latin, as a language used by educated men, and the language of the Anglo-Saxons both had a profound impact on the spelling and pronunciation of Norman names. On the other hand, the Norman language effected the development of English.

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Protestant families were settled in Ireland in order to maintain a population on the island that was not Catholic. Other families moved to Ireland as the followers of Cromwell, who were granted lands confiscated from the Irish. In Ireland they settled in counties Clare and Limerick where they were elevated to the peerage as the Viscounts Perry and the Earls of Limerick. In 1890, a birth census of Scottish families in Ireland was taken. From that census, it was estimated that there were over 1,030 people bearing the surname Perry throughout Ireland; about 43 percent were living in the province of Ulster where the families were found in Down.

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During the course of our research we also determined the many Coat of Arms granted to different branches of the family name. The most ancient Coat of Arms found was: A shield divided quarterly red and gold, with three blue lions passant on a silver bend. The Crest was:

A hind’s head erased, holding in its mouth a pear tree sprig.

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The ancient family Motto for this distinguished name was:

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Recte agens confido

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Motto translation:

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While acting uprightly I am confident.

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