The name of Abrams, Abram, Abraham, or Abrahams is said to have been derived, in many cases, from the ancient baptismal name of Abrham, but in numerous other cases it was taken from the town of Abram (originally Adburgham) in Lancashire, England. It is claimed that the form of Abram and Abraham are, for the most part, of English lineage, and that the forms of Abrabams and Abrams are, for the most part, of Jewish lineage, but it is impossible to make any definite lines of distinction, as all four of these forms were used interchangeably on the ancient European and early American records. The name is also found on these records in the various forms of Abraam, Abraamas Abbraham, Abbrhams, Abbram, Abbrams, and numerous others, but the forms given at the beginning of this article are those most generally accepted in America today.
Families of this name were to be found at the early dates in the British counties Lancaster, Bedford,Cambridge, York, Somersett Chester, Lincoln, and London, as well as in the found of Dublin and other.parts of Ireland, and were, for the most part, of the landed gentry and yeomanry of their chosen locations.
Among the earliest records of the name in England were those of William filius (son of) Abraham of Lincolnshire about 1272, those of John Abrams of Bedfordshire in 1273, those of Ralph Abraham of Cambridgeshire about the same time, those of John Abraham of Somersetshire in 1327, those Of Magota Abraham of Yorkshire about 1379, those of Gilbert de Abram of Lancashire in the early fifteenth century, those of -Tohn Abraham of Lancashire about the same time, and those of Isaac Abraham and William Abram of Cheshire in the latter sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
One of the most ancient of the families of the name in England was that vhich is said to have been descended from one Richard de Adburgham or Abraham of Lancashire in the time of King Henry the Second. From this man is said to have been descended one Richard Abraham or Abram, who was the father about the beginning of the seventeenth century by his wife Ellen of John and Joshua, of whom the latter had issue by his wife Mary of an only child, named Rebecca; and John was the father by his wife Rachel of Daniel, Mary and another daughter, whose name is not known, but who is said to have married Phineas Pemberton and to have emigrated with him to Pennsylvania in 1682, Daniel,, son of John and Rachel Abraham, was married in 1682 to Rachel Fall, by whom he was the father of at least one son, also named John, who married Sarah Forster of County Durham and was the father by her of Thomas, Daniel, Robert, Margaret, Rachel, Sarah (died in infancy), another Sarah, Alice, Mary, and Eannah.
It is not definitely known from which of the many families of the name in Europe all of the early emigrants to America were descended, but it is Generally believed that all of the Abram, Abraham, Abrams, and Abrahams families were of extremely ancient lineage and, in many cases, of common origin at a remote period.
Among the first of the name in America were several emigrants to the South, none of whom, however, left any definite records concerning their immediate families or descendants. Of these, one John Abram is said to have come from England and settled in James City County, Va, in 1635; one John Abraham (Possibly the same as the preceding emigrant) is said to have settled in James City, Va, in 1636; and George Abraham came from England and settled in Westmoreland County, Va. , about the year 1639.
Sometime before 1704 one William Abraham(S) or Abram(s) is said to have settled at Charlestown, Mass.. but from whence he came cannot be ascertained. By his first wife Mary Evens or Evans, whom he married in the above mentioned year, he probably had no issue, and by his second wife Martha Hill, Whom he married shortly before 1720, he is believed to have been the father of Martha, William, Mary, Woodward, .Abraham-Hill, Nathaniel, Sarah, and Elizabeth.
William, eldest son of the emigrant William, was first married in 1745 to Elizabeth Reneuff, by whom he was the father of William, Elizabeth, Woodward, Mary, Tabitha, and at least one other son, who died in infancy, Records indicate that he left no issue by his second wife Jeanna Trow, whom he married in 1764 at Boston, mass., but this is not certain.
'Woodward Abraham or Abrahams, second son of the emigrant William, made his home at Salem and Marblehead, Mass, . and was married in 1751 to Tabitha Smethurst of the latter - place. He was the father of Tabitha, Martha, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, Woodward, Hannall, Joseph (died in infancy) , another Joseph, Nathaniel, and Betsey.
One Ralph Abrams, who was probably a member of the last mentioned family, is said to have been living in Charlestown, Mass., before 1773 and to have died at Boston in 1827 at eighty years of age, which would make his date of birth 1747, but the names of his parents have not been determined.
One John Abrams or Abram, whose connection,, if any, with the above mentioned family is not known, is said by some authorities to have been a Jew and to have been accompanied to New England at an early date by a brother named William, but most of this information seems to be based on family tradition and cannot be definitely stated. This Jobn made his home about 1766 at Amesbury, Mass., whence he removed in 1771 to Salisbury, and thence to Sanbornton, N. H., about 1775, By his wife Mary he is believed to have been the father of John, William, Betsey, and Mary, of whom the first was married in 1789 to Mehitable or Mehetabel Harriman, by whom he was the father of Mary, John, Betsey, and Hannala.
The descendants of these and of later emigrants of the name to America have spread into practically every part of the country and have aided greatly in its founding and development,
even as their ancestors aided in the planting of a new nation on this continent. They have been noted chiefly for their energy, industry, thrift, patience, perseverance, fortitude, resourcefulness, initiative, quick wit, mental ability, and courage.
Among those of the name who fought in the War of the Revolution were Frazer, Joseph, and Mordecai Abraham of Virginia; Moses Abrahams or Abraham of Virginia; George and John Abram of Virginia; Alexander, John, William, Woodward, Andrew, Benjamin, Jonathan, Thomas, and Ralph Abraham(s) or Abram(s) of Massachusetts; and numerous others from the various other New bigland and southern colonies.
William, John, Ralph, Daniel, Richard, Thomas, Robert, Alexander, Joseph, George, Woodward, Nathaniel, and Benjamin are some of the Christian names most frequently used by the family for its male members.
A few of the many members of the family who have distinguished themselves in all parts of the world in more recent times are:
Israel Abrahams, English-Jewish author, who was born in London in 1858 and died in 1926;
Ladislas Abraham, Polish educator and author, who was born in Galicia in 1860; and
Albert Abrams, noted American physician, who was born in California in 1863 and died there in 1924.
Among the most ancient and frequently recurrent of the numerous coats-of-arms used by the English families of Abram and Abraham, from which most of the American families of Abram, Abraham, Abrams, and Abrahams are believed to trace their descent, are those described as followers:
Arms. I (Abraham) -- "Sable a chevron between three estoiles argent"
Crest. -- "A raven proper".
Arms. II(Abraham or Abram) -- "Azure. A sun or."
Crest. -- "A sun or."
Arms. III(Abrahams) -- "Lozengy or gules, on a chief sable the sun in his splendour or."
Crest. -- "A cap of maintenance decorated with a plum of ostrich feathers, all proper" (Another, "The sun rising from a cloud proper")
(Arm taken from Burke's 'General Armory", 1884.) Bibliography
The above data have been oompiled chiefly from the following sources:
Lower--"Dictionary of Family Names", 1860.
Bardsley--"English and Welsh Surnames", 1901.
Foster--"Country Families of England (Lancashire)",1878, and 'Pedigree of the Fosters and Forsters", 1871
Greer--"Early Virginia Immigrants", 1912.
Wyman--"Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown Mass.'", 1872.
"The Essex Antiquarian", Vol. Is 1897.
Runnels--'Sanborntonly, 1881.
"Virginia Revolutionary Soldiers", 1912.
McAllister--"Virginia Militia in the Revolution War", 1913.
"Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War", 1896.
"The Encyclopedia Americana" 1932.
Burke--"General Armory", 1884