Farrar (surname) explained

Farrar is an occupational surname for a blacksmith or ironworker derived from the Latin ferrarius, Middle English Ferror or Anglo-Norman ferrur.[1] Alternate spellings are Farrer, Ferrar and Farrow.

Origins

There are records of an Osbert le ferrur and Peter le ferrour previous to the Poll Tax of 1377, but in those cases ferrur is not a name, it is an occupation i.e. Thomas the horseshoer.[2]

The subsidy roll (Poll Tax of 1379), for the town of Elland, Halifax parish, Morley Wapentake, West Riding of Yorkshire lists a Johannes de Helistones, fferror & uxor (John of Helistones, Ferror and (his) wife, indicating that he was a "ferror"; also in the same subsidy roll is Henricus de Langfeld', ffranklayn, & uxor, which translates into Henry of Langfeld, freeman and (his) wife. By 1350 surnames were taking hold in the south of England, but it wasn't until around 1450 that surnames were used in the north (including Yorkshire).[3] [4]

The earliest documented appearance of the surname is the Register of Freemen of York, 1410–1411 with Johannes Ferror, a littestar (dyer of wool or lister, litster).[5] [6] Due to varying levels of literacy and regional dialects, the name could be written as Farrar, Pharo, Farra, Ferrar, Farrer, Ferrers, or Farrow.

As an example of how the spelling can change over time: Henry Ferror is listed in Halifax Wills being Abstracts and Translations 1545–1559.[7] His son William Ferror's will.[8] His grandson John Farrer's will, and his great grandson William Farrar. Another variant: Will of Henry Fareher of Halifax, 1542.[9] Lord (Thomas) Farrer of Abinger, in his Farrer (and some variants) Wills and Administrations, lists many related and unrelated Farrars, with a variety of spellings who left Wills.

The surname is found, in England, originally in those areas in which there were deposits of iron and thus an iron producing industry.[10] [11] [12]

Bearers of the surname belong to various haplogroups including E-M2, I-M233, I-M253,J-M172, R-M269, R-YP5578.[13]

Armorial bearings

There is an apparent symbiotic relationship between the surname and armorial bearings issued to various houses of Farrar/Farrer/Ferrar, all of which have, on a bend, three horseshoes and some have a horseshoe on the crest. Such as Fairer of Warcorp Tower, Westmoreland[14] And pedigrees recorded in the Visitation of Surrey[15] and Visitation of Hertford.[16] The arms of Nicholas Ferrar.[17]

FERRAR of Westwood Place in Worplesdon. Arms: Argent on a bend engrailed Sable three horse-shoes of the first, a crescent for difference. Crest: A horse-shoe Argent between two wings displayed Or. As borne by Henry Farrer [Ferrer] of Westwood and his brother John Farrer of Brierly, Yorkshire, sons of John Farrer of Croxton, Lincolnshire, 2nd son of William Farrer of Ewood Hall, Yorkshire West Riding. (see Visitation of Surrey and Hertfordshire above and Pedigrees of the Families of the County Yorkshire[18] )

FARRER: Bryan Farrer, JP, of Binnegar Hall, Dorset, (1858–1944), grandson of James William Farrer of Ingleborough, Yorkshire, Senior Master in Chancery, (1785–1863), had issue Captain John Oliver Farrer, MC, (1894–1942), father of William Oliver Farrer, MA (Oxon), of Highlands, Fernhurst, Haslemere, solicitor, (b.1926); and Sir Walter Leslie Farrer, KCVD, BA (Oxon), of Charlwood Place Farm, Horsley, solicitor, (b.1900). The said James William Farrer had a 2nd son the Rev. Matthew Thomas Farrer, MA, of Ingleborough, (1816–89), Vicar of Addington and Perpetual Curate of Shirley. Arms: Quarterley, 1 and 4, Argent on a bend engrailed Sable three horseshoes of the field (Farrer); 2 and 3, Or gutté-de-sang a bend Gules. Crest: A horseshoe between two wings erect Proper. Motto: Ferre va ferme.

FARRER: Thomas Farrer, 1st Baron Farrer, of Abinger Hall, Dorking, (1819–99), was created Baron Farrer of Abinger, 1893. The title became extinct on the death of Oliver Farrer, 4th Baron Farrer in 1954. Arms: Argent on a bend engrailed Sable four horse shoes of the field. Crest: a quatrefoil with a horseshoe between two wings all Argent. Supporters: on either side a horse reguardant Argent gorged with a riband pendant therefrom an escutcheon both Sable charged with two horseshoes palewise Argent. Motto: Ferre va ferme.[19]

Notable people with the surname

Fictional characters

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Anglo Norman Dictionary.
  2. Book: Bardsley, Charles Wareing. English Surnames: Their Sources and Significations. Chatto and Windus . Piccadilly, London. 1875. 290.
  3. Web site: Subsidy Roll of 1379, Morley Wapentake. Genuki.org.uk. 7 February 2019.
  4. Book: McKinley, Richard A.. A History of British Surnames. Routledge. 2013. 978-0-582-01869-3. 31.
  5. Web site: Register of the Freemen of the City of York: From the City ..., Volume 96. 6 February 2019. books.google.com. (England). York. 1896.
  6. Web site: YORKSHIRE: Subsidy Rolls (Poll Tax) for the year 1379. 6 February 2019. genuki, org.uk.
  7. Web site: Halifax Wills :being abstracts and translations from the Parish of Halifax 1545-1559. 6 February 2019. Archive.org.
  8. Book: Farrer of Abinger, Lord. Farrer(and some variants) Wills and Administrations. 1936. Tanner and Son. Dorking [Surrey].
  9. Web site: (England). York. 1904. Will of Henry Fareher of Halifax.
  10. Web site: DistributionFarrar name 1881. 6 February 2019. Public Profiler UK.
  11. Web site: Iron Mining in the British Isles. 6 February 2019. Northern Mine Research Society.
  12. Web site: Roman Britain Industrial Mining. 6 February 2019. Campbell M Gold. 9 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124340/http://campbellmgold.com/archive_definitive/history_mining_in_roman_britain.pdf. dead.
  13. Web site: Farrar Farrow DNA results. 4 August 2019. Family Tree DNA.
  14. Web site: Visitation of Cumbria and Westmoreland. Archive.org. 7 February 2019.
  15. Book: The Visitations of the County of Surrey: 1530, 1572, 1623. Ye Wardour Press. 1899. London.
  16. Book: The visitations of Hertfordshire, 1572 and 1634. London. 1886.
  17. Web site: The Arms of Nicholas Ferrar. A December Pilgrimage. 7 February 2019.
  18. Web site: Pedigrees of the Families of the County of Yorkshire. Foster. Joseph. 1874. Archive.org. http://archive.org/details/pedigreesofcount01fost/page/n119. 2018. 11 February 2019.
  19. Web site: Surrey Coat of Arms. Surrey Heritage. 10 February 2019.

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