When Francis Palmer Sr was born on 4 December 1657, in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, his father, John Palmer, was 32 and his mother, Margaret Northend, was 37. He married Elizabeth Hunt on 3 December 1682, in Rowley, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 2 daughters. He died on 19 April 1733, in his hometown, at the age of 75, and was buried in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.
Do you know Francis? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
English: nickname from Middle English palmer(e) ‘palmer, pilgrim to the Holy Land’ (Anglo-Norman French palmer, Old French pa(l)mer, paum(i)er), so called from the palm branch carried by such pilgrims. The term was also used to denote an itinerant monk who traveled from shrine to shrine under a vow of poverty. This surname is also common in Ireland, where it has been recorded from the 13th century onward.
Irish: when not of English origin (see 1 above), a surname adopted for Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair (see Milford ), the name of an ecclesiastical family.
Swedish (mainly Palmér): ornamental name formed with palm ‘palm tree’ + the suffix -ér (a derivative of Latin -erius) or -er (from German).
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related NamesAs a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.