Thomas Vizer (1776 - abt. 1857)

Born 1776 in Middlesex

Descendants

Biography

Thomas was born in 1776.

In the 1841 census Thomas (age 65) was in Shoreditch St Leonard, Middlesex, England.^[1]

History of the Vizer family name: Pedigree of VIZER family as extracted from the Herald Office St. Pauls Chair, Saturday 6th March 1813. The first person of the Vizers come into England witch Edward “The Black Prince”, son of Edward the 3rd in year 1342, was was engaged as Esquire to Prince Edward before he won the memorable battle of Cressy in witch the French were defeated and in which the said Vizer took an native part and was wounded as he was fighting by the side of his master the Prince who with his own hands carried him to his own tent and recoved him who afterwards enlisted him into the archers, he being a famous bowman and a man of great structure, being nearly 7 feet high and was a nature of Antwerp in Flanders. When he came to England, he created a Knight and Baronet for this services and died at Rome in year 1360, where he was honored with a message to the grand pope, to offer him presents on behalf of Edward the 3rd for his cauning masses to be sung at St. Peters on account of the recovery of Queen Phillipa from a long illness.

FreeBMD records, a death for a Thomas Vizer in fall of 1857 – Yr of reg 1857; Quarter of reg Oct-Nov-Dec; District Shoreditch; Co. London, Middlesex; Vol. 1c; pg 116.

Surname: Vizor This name, with variant spellings Vizar, Vizer, Vizier, Vizir etc., derived from the Old French "Viseur" meaning "observer" or "overlooker", and was originally given as an occupational name to one employed in a supervisory role. The surname from this source first appears on record in England in the latter part of the 13th Century, (see below), 16th Century entries in Wiltshire church registers include the christening of Alece, daughter of Henry Vizar, in Chippenham on October 15th 1580 and the marriage of John Vizer to Jonne Woodlane in Chippenham on November 13th 1581. In 1616 one, robert Vizer of Somerset was entered in "the Oxford University Register". On January 8th 1690 Mary Vizier and Samuel Thomasman were married in St. James, Duke's Place, London and on April 4th 1738 Mary Vizor married a Robert Weeks in Sherston, Wiltshire. A further variant is found in the marriage of Ann Visor to James Tolman in Teddington, London (1820). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John le Visur, which was dated 1273, "The Hundred Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Edward 1, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Sources

1. ↑ 1841 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1841"
   citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
   FamilySearch Record: MQV8-F6T (accessed 20 July 2022)
   FindMyPast Image
   Thomas Vizer (65) in Shoreditch St Leonard, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom.