Search this page: Use your browser EDIT and FIND tool in your browser window. Enter a first name or a last name and first name. Be sure to use the variant spellings for Viers (Vear, Veares, Via, Vores, Vares, Veirs, Veer, Veers, etc.)

WERE THE VIERS Huguenots?

The question keeps surfacing that the Viers family suffered religious persecution and were Huguenots. Let's look at this to see if there is any validity.

• 1. The Viers in Germany date back in church records to the 1300's at least and they were located in Prussia and were Catholic.
• 2. There were French Viers and Netherlands Viers whom may well have been Huguenots, but, they did not appear to go to Maryland. There is evidence of one of the Via families in Virginia being connected with the Huguenots from France. As there are two distinctive groups of Via family names in Virginia, it is questionable that one branch was of direct line Viers. The other Via name emerged as a result of the Tuckahoe accent. During the Revolutionary War, some Viers of Virginia were soldiers. These Viers would line up for roll call and they would shout out their names with a very rich Tuckahoe accent. The corporal or sergeant who was writing down the names during roll call interpreted the name Viers to be Via and thusly wrote the name down as such. Upon discharge, the name of Via was used on the records. This is how the Via branch came into existence in this particular Viers relationship. This second branch extends from Virginia to Kentucky and Gallia County, Ohio, as an example, and many times the name shows up as Viers, Viors, Viars, Vores and a few other spellings in these communities (I have not been able to connect the Viers converted to Via during the Revolutionary War with any particular defined church other than they do "appear" not to be of the Virginia Via line that came directly to Virginia from France and were Huguenots). The Viers converted to Via most likely were of the Viers line that came from the British Isles, which one can trace in pre-1700 presence of of Viers (and variant spellings) acquiring land and settling in Virginia.
• 3. The Viers in early Maryland America were very definitely Anglican. This can be noted by reviewing the following: Daniel Viers Sr.'s marriage to Dorothy Handley at All Hallows Parish in Anne Arundel County, the baptism of the children of Daniel Viers Sr. and Nehemiah Viers at Prince George's Parish (Rock Creek Church). "History of Jefferson County.' (pg. 408)...shows that the Viers continued to be Anglican with the following source: "On May 17, 1819, a company met at the residence of Mrs. William R. Dickenson, and with Rt. Rev. Philander Chase presiding, organized the Parish of St. Paul's Church, Steubenville, with the following officers:....Senior Warden BRICE VIERS (list of other names)...The Parish was incorporated on May 9, 1825 with....BRICE VIERS, Vestryman (list of other names)." Later, in Summit County, there is evidence of the Viers moving to other denominations, either by choice or due to the lack of an Episcopal Anglican church being readily available to them. We see in the story of Dorsey W. Viers that the last meeting to clear his namewas held in the Methodist Church which seemed to be the community church in Northfield Twp., Summit County, Ohio at that time and most likely the place of worship for families in that community. Those searching Viers in their westward movement should consider looking at the Methodist Episcopal Church and in later years (early 1900's), many Viers became members of the Nazarene Church. Some branches became members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) as can be noted when researching the LDS FHL files.
• 4. There is one reference below to a Viers in Pennsylvnia being a member of the Friends.

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Researchers have tried to associate the Viers name in Virginia with the Viers name in Maryland. So far, no connection has been made. Considering the relative short distance between the various places in Virginia the Viers settled and the Rock Creek One Hundred settlement where we find the Viers in Maryland, it is easy to speculate a connection between the Virginians and those in Maryland. This is given greater strength in that more names of Viers (and variant names) seem to appear in land acquisition prior to 1723 in Virginia, whereas the history of Viers land acquisition in Maryland is only documented beginning with Daniel Viers Sr.'s first acquisition in 1733. Three Vears/Veares...Job, Daniel and John...are noted as emigrants to Maryland in 1677, but there is no notations of their acquiring land. About the only Viers, and variant spellings, we see in Maryland, other than the 1677 trio, prior to 1723 is the marriage of Jno. Vears to Ann Wynn (widow) in the 1690's and some activity relating to a Mary Vears in Baltimore in 1700, but no data accompanies these entries to show any more than their presence in Maryland. The mystery of anything relating to Daniel Viers Sr. prior to his 1723 marriage continues to haunt Viers researchers.

ACCUMULATED RANDOM RESEARCH NOTES FOR VIERS (FRANCE/ENGLAND/USA)

(NOTE: A majority is in loose chronological order)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS:
Viers France
Viers/Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD (Some street signs say Viers Mill Road and others say Veirs Mill Road...Some maps show as Viers Mill Road and other maps show as Veirs Mill Road...The name is listed as Viers Mill School when you do a search for schools in that area).
Viers Ridge, Dickenson County, VA

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NOTE: This Coats of Arms and Crest data in this section below is for display only. Not documented and only of interest for researchers who are using various research methods to connect the Viers line to England and France. The four URL links noted below may or may not have valid information and would require additional verification of the data displayed. Caveat Emptor: Be very careful of any web site that asks a fee to provide you with information, Coats of Arms, etc. about ancient family connections. Investigate them thoroughly before parting with your money as they may provide worthless documents.

COAT OF ARMS-FRANCE: Viers Origin: French Coat of Arms: Chequey silver red. Crest: None. Compare these two websites regarding Coats of Arms and Viers family history: LINK A: (click here and then enter the word: Viers in the search box) ... LINK B: (click here for additional information)

COAT OF ARMS-ENGLAND: Vere (No actual connection yet made to the Vere and de Vere line, but some insist our Viers line does connect with the Earls of Oxford line somewher back in history):

Vere...Origin: English Coat of Arms: Quarterly red and gold and in top right a silver star. Crest: A boar passant. Motto: Vero nihil verius Beware of identifying with any Crests or Coats of Arms until verified through such sources as Burke's studies of nobility, crests and coats of arms and documenting a family pedigree back to that surname. The above images only display some findings found in various books, but not identified as being part of the history of any American Viers (and variant spellings) family line. In addition, it is quite important to note the strict policy of how Crests and Coats of Arms are passed down through the generations in history and how each generation the Coat of Arms may change based on the individual ownership of that person who has the right of inheritance to that Coat of Arms. A Coat of Arms is like a Trade Mark and is not of family ownership, but of individual inherited right. Compare these two websites regarding Coats of Arms and Viers family history. LINK A: (click here and then enter the word: Vere in the search box) ... LINK B: (click here for additional info)

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International Genealogical Index-British Isles-Search reveals 15 Viers entries-1543 to mid-1800's. (Various alternate spellings)

International Genealogical Index-Ireland-1-Christening-William Viers-1663-Londonderry.

International Genealogical Index-Germany-(41 entries). (Pure Viers spelling)

International Genealogical Index-Europe-( 3 entries). (Pure Viers spelling)

VERE, ELIZABETH-Virginia Colony, Virginia=1612 VERE, HORATIO, SIR, Virginia Colony, Virginia=1607 Source: Early American Series, Early Virginia, Vol. 2, pg. 41; compiled by Ronald Vern Jackson; Accelerated Indexing System, Inc.-1980.

VERE, JOSEPH-�The Lombard Street banks did business of a different kind. Some, like, Surman and Stone, had dropped their goldsmith business and turned to discounting and investment and note issue�It was no accident that they helped in floating loans for the Seven Years War. Others, like VERE, Gly and Hatfield, came from trade-Gly being a deepsalter who joined partnership with JOSEPH VERE, a banker��
Source: England Apprenticeships, 1603-1763, Chapter Fifteen-An Age of Debts and Taxes, pg. 330; by Charles Wilson; published by Longman's, Green & Co., Oxford-1965.

VEARE, ANN-Born: 1678-NH Married: 1712 Died: 1743 RES: ME SPOUSE: Gerrish, Nathaniel Capt. . Code: M10.
Source: New England, New York Ancestors before 1850; Seattle Genealogical Society-1984.

VEARS, THOMAS-�First Publishers of Truth, (supplement to the Journal of the Friends' Historical Society), page 306, in the account of Friends' beginning at Bolland, a branch of Settle Mo. Mtg. In Yorkshire, says 'In ye year 1653, about ye 6th mo., there came two friends out of ye North, whose names were THOMAS VEARS and Christopher Atkinson, to a Little Town called Newton, not far from Slaid burne in Bolland,�.�
Source: From Chapter on Atkinson Family of Bucks County, Pennsylvania in Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families from the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.-1981.

VERE, CHRISTIJNE-Denis Gillis, d. 1694, w. CHRISTOJNE VERE, NY, BE, Fam Rec, FAH, 8:2:34-Flemish American Heritage, 18740, 13 Mile Rd., Rooseville, MI 48066.
Source: Genealogical Periodical Annual Index, Leslie E. Towle, Compiler-Laird C. Towle, Editor; Heritage Books, Baltimore, MD.

VIERS/VICERS, REBECCA (Note: Patton)-�West of the North Fork of the James, at the headwaters of Mill Creek of Paogue's Run and of Cedar and Broad Creeks, the Doughertys had been living since 1738. First there was Michael Dougherty (I) who died in 1763�.(etc.)�The Michael Dougherty family and the Pattons certainly were acquainted, having official duties in common. One of the closest friends of Michael (I) was George Wilson from Chester County, Pennsylvania, who married REBECCA VICERS or VIERS, niece to James Patton's wife.�
Source: Genealogy of Kentucky Families, James G. Klotter, Editor; Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.-A-M; 1981.

VEARES, DANIEL of Warwick, R For America July 1678, Wa.
VEARES, JOSEPH of Birmingham, R For America July 1682, Wa
VERE, CECILEY of Middlesex, R Feb T For Life. April 1762 Dolphin M. Essex
VERE, SARAH T Dec. 1736, Dorsetshire, E�
Source: The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage 1614-1775, pg. 824; by Peter Wilson Coldham; also, OVEARES, DANIEL/VEARES, JOSEPH noted in Bonded Passenger to America, Vol. V-IX, Western, Oxford, Norfold, Northern and Midland Circuits-1663-1775; by Peter Wilson Coldham.

VERE-�325 ALNO. Succinct genealogies of the noble and ancient houses of Alno or de Alneto. Broc of Shephale. Latimer of Duntish. Drayton of Drayton. Manduit of Werminister. Geene of Drayton. VERE of ADDINGTON��
Source: Genealogies in the Library of Congress, pg. 27.

VERE-3188 CAVENDISH. Historical collections of the noble families of Cavendish, Holles, VERE, Harley and Ogle with the lives of the most remarkable persons�The lives of the earls of Oxford, concluding with AUBREY DE VERE, the twentieth and last earl�also the lives of those famous generals, HORACE, LORD VERE OF TILLBURY, and SIR FRANCIS VERE, his brother�Containing curious private memoirs�.�
Source: Genealogies in the Library of Congress (Note: Biographers and noble family genealogists will state that the Viers name does not relate to the Baron Vere and the De Vere Earls of Oxford line. However, keep in mind that such genealogy fact may not be true as some of the genealogies of these families only record those who married within the noble line and excludes any family members who may have not retained noble linkage. So, any branch of the twenty earls of Oxford except the last (who was childless) could have offspring whose offspring became commoners and thusly precluded from any mention in genealogy lineage of the noble families.)

VEIRS=MD-C-859,278-5.
Source: Index to Some of the Family Records of the Southern States, pg. 223; by E. Kay Kirkham, Genealogist.

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