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Pierpont Name Study

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Surnames/tags: Pierpont Pierrepont Pierpoint
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This is a One Name Study to collect together in one place everything about the surname Pierpont and its variants. The hope is that other researchers like you will join our study to help make it a valuable reference point for people studying lines that cross or intersect. Please contact the project leader, add categories to your profiles, add your questions to the bulletin board, add details of your name research, etc.

"The Pierreponts were benefactors to the abby of Thionville, for lands in the territory of Sornicourt, and Veel." Thionville, from the year 930, was a parish belonging to Abbey of Saint-Maximin of Trier (Germany) while depending on the diocese of Metz.[1]

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Rick Pierpont
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Surname Variants

There are exceptions, but here are the general guidelines:

Pierpont: Used for those families that originally came to New England from England.
Pierpoint: Used for those families that originally came to Virginia from England.
(de) Pierrepont, (de) Pierrepoint: Used for those families in England
Petraponte, Petra Ponte: Used for those families that are documented in original documents written in Latin, from that part of the world now called France.

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Origins of the name

In Charlemagne's time (before the year 814), in the area that is now northern France, there was a ferry over a river. Charlemagne eventually had the ferry replaced with a stone bridge. At the time, this was an engineering marvel. Everyone knew about the "stone bridge".

The Normans (from Nortmanni: “Northmen”. aka Vikings) were originally pagan barbarian pirates from Denmark, Norway, and Iceland who began to make destructive plundering raids on European coastal settlements in the 8th century. During the later 9th century their raids on the northern and western coastlands of France grew in scale and frequency, and the Vikings had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine River by about 900. A Viking named Rollo of Normandy, who had already won a reputation as a great leader of Viking raiders in Scotland and Ireland, soon emerged as the outstanding personality among the new settlers. In 911 the Frankish king Charles III the Simple made the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte with Rollo of Normandy, ceding him the land around the mouth of the Seine and what is now the city of Rouen.[2]. This was in the same area as the "stone bridge".

In the year 938 there was a "castrumque Petraepontem/Castle Pierrepont". I assume near the stone bridge, a military fortification was created[3]. In the year 940, King Louis IV advanced on Laon, France. This forced Hugh the Great out of Laon and he "hurried by night to the 'munitio' of Pierrepont". Therefore, the Castle Pierrpont must be within one nights ride from Laon, France. In addition, Hugh the Great was on his way to Germany to meet with King Otto. Therefore, the direction he rode was in the direction of Germany (to the northeast of Laon, France). The Castle Pierrepont was only a few miles northeast of Laon, France.[4]

There was an attack on the Castle Pierrepont c.1359 during the Reims Capaign. From Froissart's Chronicles: "It happened that these adventurers (whose whole thoughts, night and day, were occupied on the best means of taking towns, and in what parts of the country they should find most to pillage) came on night to a good town with a strong castle, situated in the Laonois (in Picardy), tolerably near to Montagu(in Picardy, diocese of Laon), and in a very deep marshy country, the name of which was Pierrepont. At this time, there were in it a great many people of the country, who had carried thither their goods, trusting to the strength of the place. When sir Eustace's (Eustace d'Ambreticourt) companions arrived, the guard was asleep: they marched, therefore, through the deep marshes with much loss, for their avarice urged them on, and they came to the walls of the town, which they entered without resistance, and robbed at their pleasure. They found in it more riches than in any other place; and, when it was day, they burnt the town, and returned to Cheny, well laden with booty."[5]

The family near this bridge were called "of the stone bridge". They lived in a "castle" (Latin: Petraepontem castellulum). In Latin the family name was "de Petra Ponte". (Latin: Petra = stone, ponte = bridge). This was sometimes written as "de Petraponte". The language was heavily influenced by the French (Norman-French) and the name eventually became "de Pierrepont". (French: Pierre = stone, pont = bridge).

The Normans, lead by William The Conquerer, attacked England in the year 1066 (The Battle of Hastings). Sir Robert de Pierrepont, Knight, was a commander in the Battle of Hastings (October 1066). He and other family members settled in England.

Their lands are documented in The Domesday Book in the year 1086:[6]

Robert de Pierrepont Lord in 1086: Wrentham, Blything, Suffolk (9.4 geld units)
Reginald de Pierrepont Lord in 1086: Tivetshall [St Margaret and St Mary], Diss, Norfolk (0.3 geld units)
Godfrey de Pierrepont Lord in 1086: Henstead, Blything, Suffolk (1.3 geld units) and Thorington, Blything, Suffolk (2 geld units)

A full discussion of this can be found in The Sussex Archaeological Collections (Sussex Archaeological Society, H.Wolff, Lewes, England, 1859) Vol. 11, Page 50 & Page 58

Over time, the name became "Pierrepont". Family members came to North America, through Boston and Virginia. In general, the northern area family changed the name to "Pierpont" and the southern family changed the name to "Pierpoint". There are many exceptions and there are many other spellings of the name Pierpont.

Historical Documents

  • Saint Boétian Pierrepont was a native of Ireland and a disciple of St. Fursey, he built the monastery of Pierrepont, near Laon (Aisne, France). He was murdered by criminals he had reprimanded on May 22, 668. His shrine is still a place of pilgrimage.[7]
  • The Pierrepont Coin: French Denier. It was minted in the 9th century. The kings monogram is on one side and "Petre Pontem" is written on the other side. See attached document for photo and description.
  • Flodoard, of Reims. Flodoardi Chronicon (Reims : Regnier, 1855)
    • Originally written in Latin. Translations are available in English and French. Only the Latin and French are available online. English is available in book form.
    • The first mention of the name Pierpont is in the year 938: "castrumque Petraepontem". This is a reference to the castle (castrumque) Pierpont, northeast of Laon, France.
    • The name Pierpont is also mentioned in the year 940: "munitionem Petraepontem" (munitio is a general term for fortification).
  • Cartulaire de l'abbaye Saint-Michel du Treport (Firmin-Didot et Cie., 1880) year 1035, Page 6:
Latin: do dono Roberti de Petreponte et Godefridi fratris qua tenebant de Oylardo de consensu ejusdem domini ejus deciman de Cuvervilla et hoc fecerunt domino ejusdem ville,
English: Roberti de Petreponte, and his brother Godefridi, give a gift which he held from Oylardo with the consent of our said lord his tenth of Cuverville and this they have done to the lord of the same town
Subseripsit anno 980 (the year 980)
chartae Herberti comitis Trecensis pro monachis Deruensibus:
Charter Herbert, Earl of Troyes, for the Deruensibus monks:
& eodem circiter anno ecclesiam
and the same, for about a year, to the church Petrae-pontis
dedit monachis in abbatia Vincentiana restitutis
monks of the abbey Vincentiana restored
  • Sainte-Marthe, Denis de. Gallia Christiana (Coignard, France, 1856) Vol. 2, Col. 642 C
Bishop Hugo Petraponte (bother of Roberti). He is the Bishop of Liège. Hugo died 1229, b.c.1170?
975-990 CE Diocèse Laon, Abbey Saint-Vincent
"Adalberon granted to the abbey of Saint-Vincent[8] Laon a parcel of land within its area of ​​Pierrepont, at the request of Father Berland who complained incursions servants of the bishop in the land of the Abbey of St.-Hilaire adjoining said land."
Latin: "Adalbero, sancte Laudunensis ecclesie presul. Cognoscat universitas sancte Dei Ecclesie fidelium, non modo presentium verum etiam futurorum, quum monasterii Sancti Vincentii nostre Laudunice urbis venerabilis abbas, Berlandus, nostram expetivit mansuetudinem quandam terre portiunculam nostri indominicatus in Petraponte extra munitionem sibi ad locum suum dari, hac de causa"
Anno 987: Ecclesiam in castro Petraponte
Year 987: Church in the castle Pierrepont
Pierpoint.
Latin: Notum sit omnibus tam futuris quam pontibus quod ego Lionius de Malnoer consilio
uxoris meae et
ceterorum amicorum numerorum dedi et
paenti charta mea confirmavi Mro Williamo de Dunigtone et
haerede suis ad tenend' de me et
herede meis in feudo et
haereditate in maiori Anastan[9] 4 [10]
bouatas terrae cum o'bus pertinentijs etc.
totam hanc terrae dedi ei liberam et
quietam ab omni seruicio pro decima parte seruicij unius militis etc.
English: Be it known to all forever, I "Lionius de Malnoer" on advice from:
my wife,
and other nummerous friends
and presented/from papers confirmed by monsignor William Dunigton[11]
and his heirs to hold of me
and my heirs in fee
and heredity in greater Anastan
and bouatas(?) land, with appurtenances
and throughout this land, give him free
ease from all service from one-tenth part one soldier service
Latin: Quae excerpsi ex registro euidentiarum Henrici Perpoint Militis.
English: These excerpts from the evidence register Henry Pierpont Soldier

Family Motto

This graphic is from Collins' Peerage of England, Vol. 1, Part 2, Page 525 published in 1812.

The Family motto is "Pie Repone Te". The first word is clearly shown as an abbreviation "Pie." In Latin, it was common to use abbreviations for words. This is an abbreviation for the Latin word "Piens". "Piens" is a Latin adjective for pious/holy/godly. "Repone" is a verb, and the second-person singular present active imperative of the Latin word "repono" which means replace, restore, lay, repay, lay aside, store. It is an 'imperative' which means it is a command (such as: Faster! Slower!). "Te" is the Latin word for 'you'.

Some mottoes were designed as puns on the family name.[12] This may or may not be a pun, but it is obviously "designed on the family name". There is room here for interpretation, but it is a command to you, the reader, to relax. Since 'Piens' is an adjective, it is describing something as pious. What that something is is not part of the motto. Others have chosen this to mean to be describing 'confidence', as in "pious confidence", as in "relax in pious confidence". However, the Latin word for 'confidence' is "confidentia", or "fiducia", or "confisio" and it does not appear in the motto.

DNA

External Links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ See: http://www.musiqueorguequebec.ca/orgues/france/thionvillesm.html
  2. ↑ Encylopedia Britannica
  3. ↑ The location may be here: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrepont_(Aisne)
  4. ↑ See map 2 in the Fanning and Bachrach english translation of The Annals of Flodoard of Reims.
  5. ↑ Froissart, Jean. Sir John Froissart's Chronicles of England, France, Spain, and the Adjoining Countries (London, 1808) Vol. 3, Page 32-3
  6. ↑ The Domesday Book
  7. ↑ See: http://www.martyretsaint.com/boetian-de-pierrepont/
  8. ↑ The abbey of St. Vincent at Laon was founded in 580 by Queen Brunehaut. See http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14130c.htm
  9. ↑ See witness list for Gilberto de Anastan
  10. ↑ This has been transcribed as the number 4, but it may be an ampersand
  11. ↑ maybe: Walter de Dunigton, clerk, to the church of Gameleston
  12. ↑ http://www.ravenboymusic.com/sententia-bona-or-what-makes-a-good-motto/




Images: 9
William Pierrepont Image 1
William Pierrepont Image 1
Pierpont Name Study Image 1
Pierpont Name Study Image 1
Pierpont Name Study Image 2
Pierpont Name Study Image 2
Pierpont Name Study Image 3
Pierpont Name Study Image 3
Pierrpont Coin: French Denier
Pierrpont Coin: French Denier
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