Show ContentsStear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Stear family

The surname Stear was first found in Surrey where Styr was a Lord at the Court of Ethelred the II mentioned in Royal Letters Patent and also mentioned in King Hardicanute's reign. Styr was recorded as the ancestor of Steer, the word "Styr" was an Anglo-Saxon word for "battle" and not to be confused with steer, the animal. Steart, also called Stert, is a small village in Somerset, England. Geoffrey Ster was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1209 and later, Robert le Steer was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 1 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Willelmus Stere and Johannes Stere as residing there and holding lands at that time. 2 "The Steers or Steeres were a Newdegate family of gentry of the 17th and 18th centuries; and one of the members was rector of Newdegate from 1610 to 1660. The Steeres of Wootton parish in the 17th century were evidently connected with them, and a hundred years ago, Lee Steere, Esq., of Jayes, Wootton, owned property in Newdegate." 3

Early History of the Stear family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stear research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1628, 1638, 1643, 1649, 1667, 1672, 1675, 1689, 1721, 1750, 1772 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Stear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stear Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Steer, Steere, Stear, Steare, Steerrs and others.

Early Notables of the Stear family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Steere (1643-1721), English-born immigrant to America from Chertsey, Surrey who became a colonial American merchant and poet; and Thomas Steers...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stear family to Ireland

Some of the Stear 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.


Stear migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stear Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Tobias Stear, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 4
  • Christian Stear, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 4
  • Nicholas Stear, who settled in Maryland in 1775
  • George Stear, who landed in New York in 1795 4

Stear migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Stear Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Stear, (b. 1808), aged 41, Cornish farm labourer travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 5
  • Mrs. Eliza Stear, (b. 1819), aged 30, Cornish settler from Coldwind, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 5
  • Miss Jane Stear, (b. 1835), aged 14, Cornish house servant from Greensplat, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 5
  • Miss Matilda Stear, (b. 1837), aged 12, Cornish settler from Greensplat, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 5
  • Mr. William John Stear, (b. 1840), aged 9, Cornish settler from Greensplat, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stear (post 1700) +

  • Mark Gregory Stear (1958-1987), former English cricketer who played for Bershire (1987-19921)
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael James Douglas Stear KCB CBE (b. 1938), British Air Force officer, Deputy Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe from 1992 to 1996

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Ernest Victor Lloyd Stear (1897-1941), Australian Bandmaster from East Malvern, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 6


The Stear 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: Tu ne cede me
Motto Translation: Yield thou not to me


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. 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)
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  6. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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