Ashmere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Ashmere

What does the name Ashmere mean?

Ashmere is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire. The family name Ash is of topographical derivation and indicates that members of the family once lived in close proximity to an ash tree. 1

Early Origins of the Ashmere family

The surname Ashmere was first found in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire in the south of England. 2

Ashmore is a parish, in the union of Shaftesbury, hundred of Cranborne, Shaston division of Dorset. "The church, erected in 1433, is a plain edifice of stone and flint. " 3

The Ash in this case was in ancient Saxon a spear, and became the name of one who was adept in the handling of a spear.

Sifting though archival materials, we found Elias de Asmore in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296, and later as de Ashmer in 1327. Early Wiltshire records show William Asschmere there in 1349. 4

Early History of the Ashmere family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashmere research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1585, 1587, 1588, 1592, 1621 and 1773 are included under the topic Early Ashmere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ashmere Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ashmere family name include Ashmore, Ashmoor, Aschmoor, Aschmore and others.

Early Notables of the Ashmere family

Notables of the family at this time include John Ashmore (fl. 1621), who was the first who attempted a translation into English of selected odes of Horace. In 1621 he published 'Certain selected Odes of Horace Englished, and their Arguments annexed.' To the translations are added a number of epigrams and anagrams. The translations show considerable facility of versification, and are by no means devoid of grace; but the translator's choice is for longer measures, and there is...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ashmere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ashmere family to Ireland

Some of the Ashmere family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ashmere family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Ashmere surname or a spelling variation of the name include: William Ashmore settled in Maryland in 1634; Anthony Ashmore settled in Barbados in 1635; John Ashmore settled in Maryland in 1634; and another John Ashmore settled in Pennsylvania in 1680.

The Ashmere 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: Cave adsum
Motto Translation: Beware I am here.

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)