The legend of the person who was the founder of the Eyre and Ayre families, and who was supposedly previously known by the surname "Truelove" (or "True Love"), is a story that appears in genealogies. However, there is no definitive historical evidence confirming the existence of this person.
After the battle William told him "thou shalt hereafter instead of Truelove be called Eyre because thou hast given me the ''air'' I breathe."
Truelove the "Eyr" or "Heyr" was granted land in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gain ...
as a reward for his services, together with a
Coat of Arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
featuring "a human leg in
Armour
Armour (British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specificall ...
couped at the thigh quarterly
argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions t ...
and
sable
The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaz ...
spurred", in reference to the sacrifice of his limb. Some of these features may persist in one of the current Eyre
coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
, which features three gold quatrefoils on a black chevron with a white background.
Another variation of the story of the origin of the Eyre crest is that Humphrey le Heyr of Bromham rescued Richard Coeur de Lion at the siege of Ascalon, at the cost of his leg, and that the leg couped was granted to him in remembrance of the occasion.
List
Notable people with the surname include:
*
Agnes Gardner Eyre
Agnes Gardner Eyre de Jahn (December 10, 1881 – July 16, 1950) was an American pianist, composer, and piano teacher, a student of Theodor Leschetizky.
Early life and education
Eyre was born in Ortonville, Minnesota, the daughter of Lewis J ...
(1881–1950), American pianist and composer
* Alan Eyre (1930 – 2020), British-born Jamaican geographer
*
Alan Eyre (diplomat)
Alan E. Eyre is the first-ever Persian language spokesperson of the United States Department of State. Eyre became the State Department's Persian-language spokesperson in April 2011. The post was created as part of U.S. government efforts to com ...
Anthony Eyre (Nottinghamshire MP)
Anthony Eyre (1634-1671) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1671.
Eyre was the only son of Sir Gervase Eyre of Laughton-en-le-Morthen, Yorkshire and his wife Elizabeth Babington, daughter of John Babington of Ra ...
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre (5 August 181530 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and Governor of Jamaica.
Early life
Eyre was born in Whipsnade, Bedfordshire, shortly before his family moved t ...
, Australian explorer and Jamaican Governor
*
Ella Eyre
Ella McMahon (born 1 April 1994), known professionally as Ella Eyre, is a British singer and songwriter. She is known for her collaborations with Rudimental on their UK number-one single " Waiting All Night" (2013), which won the 2014 Brit Awa ...
Isaac Eyre
Isaac Eyre (6 January 1875–1947) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday. His only appearance for Wednesday came in a 1–0 victory away against Stoke
Stoke is a common place name in the United Kin ...
(1875–1947), English footballer
* Ivan Eyre, Canadian artist
*
James Eyre (disambiguation) James Eyre may refer to:
*Sir James Eyre (judge) (1734–1799), English judge
*Sir James Eyre (British Army officer) (1930–2003)
* James Eyre (philologist) (1748–1813), English philologist
*Sir James Eyre (physician)
Sir James Eyre M.D. (1792� ...
, several people
*
Jehu Eyre
Jehu Eyre or Ayer (January 10, 1738 – July 23, 1781) was an American businessman, veteran of the French and Indian War and American Revolutionary War, and member of the influential Eyre family, which played a major role in the American Revolut ...
, figure of the American Revolution
* Jim Eyre (caver) (1925–2008), British caver
* Jim Eyre (architect), British architect and winner of the Bodley Medal
*
John Eyre (disambiguation) John Eyre may refer to:
Politicians
*John Eyre (died 1581), Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and Salisbury
*John Eyre (died 1639), MP for Cricklade
*John Eyre (1659–1709), MP for Galway Borough, son of the above
*John Eyre (died 1745), MP for ...
, several people
* Kingsmill Eyre (1682–1743), English garden designer and inventor
*
Les Eyre
Les Eyre (7 January 1922 – 19 November 1991) was a footballer who was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England and played for Norwich City.
Career
Eyre played 201 times in all competitions for Norwich City, scoring 69 goals, between 1946 and 195 ...
, former Norwich City F.C. footballer
*
Manuel Eyre Manuel Eyre (1736–1805) was a colonel in the
, figure of the American Revolution and powerful business leader in the early American Republic
*
Mary Eyre
Margaret Mary Eyre MBE (1923 – 7 November 2013) was a British sportswoman and administrator.
Eyre played hockey for England 16 times from 1945 to 1951, scoring 17 goals.
She competed in the Wimbledon Ladies' Doubles nine times between 1949 a ...
(1923–2013), British sportswoman and administrator
*
M. Banning Eyre
Banning Eyre is a guitarist, writer, photographer, and producer specializing in the music of Africa. He has produced the Peabody Award-winning radio show ''Afropop Worldwide'' and is author of several books on African music including ''AFROPOP! ...
, Canadian writer and guitarist
* Reginald Eyre (1924–2019), British politician
*
Richard Eyre (disambiguation) Richard Eyre (born 1943) is an English director.
Richard Eyre may also refer to:
*Richard Eyre (author), American author
* Richard Eyre (footballer) (born 1976), English football player
* Richard Eyre (priest) (1929–2012), Anglican priest
See ...
, several people
*
Robert Eyre (disambiguation) Robert Eyre (1666–1735) was an English lawyer, Solicitor-General, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
Robert Eyre may also refer to:
* Robert Eyre (by 1518 – 1570 or later), MP for Weymouth and Salisbury
* Robert Eyre (MP for Winchelsea) (died ...
, several people
* Samuel Eyre (1633–1698), English judge
* Scott Eyre, Major League Baseball relief pitcher
* Tommy Eyre, English rock musician
* Wayne Eyre, Canadian general
*
William Eyre (disambiguation) William Eyre may refer to:
*William Eyre (died 1629), MP for Heytesbury and Wiltshire
*William Eyre (leveller) (''fl''. 1634–1675), English Parliamentary army officer in the English Civil War and a Leveller
*William Eyre of Neston (''fl''. 1642� ...
, several people
* Willie Eyre, Major League Baseball relief pitcher
* Wilson Eyre (1858–1944), American architect
Fiction
*
Jane Eyre
''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...
, the titular protagonist of the novel by
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature.
She enlisted i ...
.
See also
*
Eyre family The Eyre family refers to the descendants of George Eyre and Mary Smith Eyre who comprised a political and business dynasty prominent in the Northeastern United States from the colonial era to the early 20th century. During the American Revolutiona ...