I'd prefer to verify this via genealogy somehow before I run off and start searching the coastline of Brittany for Forshee grave markers.
The surname Forshee came originally from a place name. As such, the hereditary surname Forshee is classed as a habitational name. In this case, the name Forshee is derived from Fourgeres, a place-name found in Bretagne, France. It was brought to England by the Bretons who accompanied William the Conqueror in his conquest of England in 1066; while William was a Norman Duke, fully a third of his forces were from Brittany. This region of France, now called Bretagne, was settled by immigrants from England sometime between the second and fourth centuries AD. when the Romans, who were in control of both France and England at that time, ordered six thousand people to emigrate from England into Brittany.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Foreshaw, Foreshawe, Forshaw, Forshawe, Foreshoe, Forshoe, Forshew, Foreshew and many more.
First found in Buckinghamshire, where Ralph de Fougeres was tenant in chief and held many Lordships in Buckingham, Devon, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Surrey. The name Forshaw phonetically responds to this Breton name and has been linked to this notable Breton stock, which was descended from Alan, Baron of Fourgeres in Brittany living about 900 A.D.
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Mary Forshaw who settled in Maryland in 1729; Hugh Forshew settled in Virginia in 1629; Margaret Foreshoe settled in Virginia in 1741.
7 comments:
Forshee: Americanized spelling of French Fortier.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
Distribution of family name in 1920 census: 14-25 families in MI, MO, NC, NY
1891 in England/Wales:
Northumberland + London + Kent
Forshee veterans from civil war:
55 confederate
53 union
from ancestry.com
Another source:
Jonas FOSHUER
* BIRTH: 5 JUL 1777
* CHRISTENING: 26 JUL 1777,
Kakiat,Rockland,Dutch Ref. Ch,N.Y.
Father: Johannes FERSEUR\VESEUR
Mother: Rebecca WOOD
Family 1: Sally HAMILTON
* DIVORCE: N
* MARRIAGE: BEF 1803
1. Rebecca FORSHEE
From: http://colegenealogy1.tripod.com/Forshee.htm
This is a mixture of many family trees but mainly the Forshee family which extends back to France in the 17th century, such as Waldron, Du Puis, and Smith. You will see the spelling of the name change quite frequently… Forshee, Forseur, Forshay, Le faurcher, Lafouseur, Fauce, Fouseer, Fausee, Fousee, and even de Mayer (the Dutch for Mower or reaper, the meaning of French Foseur) from most recent generations back:
I have a John W. Forsha in my family tree. We are from Pennsylvania as far back as I can find (1819). I have also found variations on local census that spell it Forshaw and Foreshaw. My John W Forsha dates1841-1910. His father Joseph was born 1819 in PA, according to census records. I would love to find out where they originated.
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