The Norman Conquest
in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Pierrpoend family lived in Sussex
. Their name, however, is a reference to Pierrepont,
near St. Sauveur in the Cotentin, Normandy
, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest
in 1066. CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early Origins of the Pierrpoend family
The surname Pierrpoend was first found in Sussex
where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were from Pierrepont near St. Sauveur in the Cotentin in Normandy
. Reginald, Geoffrey and Robert Pierpont accompanied William into England
and were granted lands in Suffolk
and 9,000 acres in Sussex
under the Earl Warren. The family it seemed had extensive property and holdings from an early date as seen by this account: "Robert de Pierrepoint was a person of such extensive property that being made a prisoner fighting on the side of King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes , he was forced to give security for the payment of then great sum of seven hundred
marks for his ransom." CITATION[CLOSE]
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
, the mark never appeared as a coin but was a unit of account and was worth about 160 pence shortly after the Conquest. Based on a value of two-thirds of a pound, and converting to the price of silver, the ransom was about 267 dollars x 700 = Pierrpoend186,900 USD in today's value.
Early History of the Pierrpoend family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pierrpoend research.Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1546, 1615, 1662, 1690, 1655, 1726, 1607, 1680, 1607, 1678, 1640, 1660, 1659, 1640, 1645, 1652, 1638, 1681, 1660, 1685, 1659, 1714, 1649, 1715, 1698 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Pierrpoend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Pierrpoend Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations
. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pierrponte, Pierrepont, Pierrpont, Pierrponte, Pierreponte, Pierpont, Pierponte, Pierrpoint, Pierrpointe, Pierpoint, Pierpointe, Pearpont, Pearpoint, Pearpointe, Perpoint, Perpointe and many more.
Early Notables of the Pierrpoend family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Pierrepont (died 1452), MP for Nottinghamshire; Henry Pierrepont (1546-1615), English MP for Nottinghamshire; William Pierrepont, 4th Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull (c.
1662-1690), British peer and Member of Parliament; Evelyn Pierrepont, 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (c.
1655-1726), Member of Parliament for... Another 107 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pierrpoend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Pierrpoend family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Pierrpoend or a variant listed above: Robert Pierpont, who came to Ipswich, MA in 1648; Henry Pierpoint, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 with his wife Elizabeth and their five children; John Pierpoint, who came to Maryland or Virginia in 1718.
The Pierrpoend 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: Pie ripone te
Motto Translation: In pious confidence.