|
The LEAR Family in the United Kingdom
The LEAR family website currently separates UK LEAR family groupings on a geographical basis. The following are are current holdings on the LEAR family groups in the UK.
There are at least 5 distinct branches of the LEAR family in the UK. They appear largely unrelated.
- LEIRE from Leicestershire
- LEAR from Devon
- de L’Eure originally from France
- LEHR from Germany
- LEIR from Norway
A distinct family grouping is originally from the town of Leire in Leicestershire, from which they take their name. This family grouping is mainly to be found in Staffordshire (Stone, Leek, Newcastle under Lyme, Wolstanton, Madeley, Lichfield, Stoke).
At some time in the 18th century Leicestershire and/or Staffordshire LEARs seem to have moved down to Gloucestershire and Somersetshire, around Bristol. The Bitton LEARs were mostly working as colliers and it is likely that work opportunities were the attraction for LEIRE colliers to move south.
The Town of Bitton in Gloucestershire close to Bristol is the ancestral home of a number of LEAR families some of which at this point in time are seemingly unrelated. LEARs first appear in Bitton/Hanham/Oldland records from the late 1600s. It is likely that Bitton was an attractive place to live as work was available in the Coal mines - hence the movement of LEARs from a number of surrounding districts into Bitton.
There is what appears to be a distinct LEAR family grouping who are from South Devonshire (Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Plymouth) and who gradually moved to the neighbouring counties of Dorset (Shaftesbury) Hampshire (Portsea, Alverstoke) and after 1700 were found in London (Westminster, Southwark, Bloomsbury, St Pancras, Stepney)
One family seems to be originally de L’Eure, from the Eure river area in Normandy in France. At some time in the Middle Ages they crossed the Channel into England & the Southern Counties of Sussex and Wessex. The most famous member of this family is Edward LEAR, writer of nonsense, from the London branch of this family.
The de l’Eure family is said to be the origin of many American Lears, such as Tobias Lear, George Washington’s secretary, and William Lear of Lear jet fame.
The LEHR, LEAR family grouping largely from Germany although possibly from other central European countries seem to be largely associated with Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery manufacture. Their UK origin seems to be London.
The final group identified in the UK is the LEIR family from Norway. Little is know about this group and we are encouraging members of this group to participate in our research.
|
