Dear Sir,—I have no doubt of our name being of Scandinavian origin. The Perrys were from Normandy, the original name being Perier which has in course been reduced to its present—and for many hundred years past in England and America—Perry. A market town in Normandy, France, is our old Perry name—Periers. The name doubtlessly originated from the fruit, Pear, French Poire; or, the fruit took its name from the family which is perhaps more likely. At any rate Poire is easily modulated into Perer, Perier, Periere, etc., and so across the Channel to England, with William the Conqueror, in 1086, it soon ripens into our name Perry. Perry is a delightful fermented beverage in England made from pears—a sort of pear cider.
“Perry” identifies by its arms with “Perers.” The family of Perry was seated in Devon County, England, in 1370.
That of “Perier” was of Perieres in Bretagne (Brittany, France), and descended from Budic, Count of Cornuailles, A. D. 900, whose younger son Perion gave name to Perieres, Bretagne. A branch came to England, 1066, and Matilda de Perer was mother to Hugo Parcarius who lived in time of Henry I. The name continually recurs in all parts of England, and thence the Perrys, Earls of Limerick. There was also a Norman family of Pears intermarried with Shakespere which bore different arms “Perrie” for Perry—“Pirrie,” for Perry.
“PERRIER.”
Odo, Robert, Ralph, Hugh, &c., de Periers, Normandy 1180-95. Robert de Pereres, England, 1198.
It appears that the family Saxby, Shakkesby, Saxesby, Sakespee, Sakespage or Shakespeare was a branch of that of De Perers, and this appears to be confirmed by the armorial. The arms of one branch of Perire or Perers were: Argent, a bend sable (charged with three pears for difference). Those of Shakespeare were:—Argent, a bend sable (charged with a spear for difference). As before stated, the family of Perere came from Periers near Evreux, Normandy, where it remained in the 15th century. Hugo de Periers possessed estate in Warwick 1156; Geoffrey de Periers held fief in Stafford, 1165, and Adam de Periers in Cambridge. Sir Richard de Perers was M. P. for Leicester 1311, Herts 1316-24, and Viscount of Essex and Herts in 1325.
Courteously Yours,
HEXT M. PERRY.