Origin of Surname
The family name is thought to derive from a Christian name, formerly Aier or Aye. In the north-east of France it is believed to come from the Germanic personal name Athier, Hatie. It may also have meant an `heir`, which was spelt in 16th century French in various ways, including Hoyer.
Early records
Jean Ahier is mentioned in the Assizes Roll of 1309, and Raoul Ahier, son of Richard, with Guillaume Ahier and another Raoul Ahier being mentioned in the Extente of 1331. Guillaume Ahier, perhaps he of 1331, was an archer at Mont Orgueil Castle in 1339. The birth of Martin Ahier, from whom a descent can be traced by most Jersey Ahiers, took place in Jersey in about 1380. The Jersey Chantry Certificate of 1550 contains four Ahiers.
Barthelemy Ahier, born in St Saviour in about 1500, married Regnaulde Bisson daughter of Perrin, whilst Girette Ahier, who married George Poingdestre, was born in about 1482. At least two Ahiers were priests before the Reformation. Sire Thomas Ahier, son of Louis, was Chaplain and, in 1489, Procureur of the Seigneur of Rosel, whilst another Sire Thomas Ahier was a priest, prior to his death in 1546.
The surname has primarily been associated with the eastern parish of St Saviour, where several branches held land in the vicinity of La Ville Patier and La Froide Rue, now called Bon Air Lane, with others owning land in Longueville. From the late 17th century, a branch of the family resided in Trinity, from which was descended Philippe Ahier, Regent of St Mannelier (1781), his son, the Reverend Jean Thomas Ahier, Rector of Trinity 1811-1850 and grandson John Patriarche Ahier a noted Island historian and author of Tableaux Historiques de L`Ile de Jersey.
Other members of the Ahier family to have made their mark on Island history include the Reverend Josué Ahier M.A. (Oxon.), Rector of St Lawrence 1650-1693, who married the heiress of Lieutenant-Bailiff Laurens Hamptonne and his son, Josué Ahier, Constable of St Lawrence 1687-1703.
Variants
- Ahier
- Aye
- Ayen 1340
- Ayer, 1292
- Haiher 1309
Family records
Family trees
All these trees were first added to the site in 2011 and 2012, before we had church records available to check against. We are now starting to produce newly researched trees which will either confirm the details in the earlier trees or identify errors. That process will take some time, and until we can confirm that all descendancies in the earlier trees have been checked, the two sets of trees should be consulted by researchers into the Ahier family
- Descendants of Martin Ahier (b 1380)
- Descendants of Lucas Ahier (1480- )
- Descendants of Richard Ahier (1351)
- Descendants of Philippe Ahier shows alternative ancestry to above tree
- Descendants of Lucas Ahier
- Descendants of Gedeon Ahier
- Descendants of Jean Ahier (1645)
- Descendants of Guyon Ahier
- Descendants of Jean Ahier and Jeanne Le Febvre
Newly researched trees These trees represent our best efforts to make sense of the confused Ahier ancestry in the 17th century. Individuals of the same name and roughly the same year of birth appear in different online trees and are missing from church records. A number of the trees have notes questioning some relationships and links to other trees, and these should be studied carefully. Researchers will also notice continuing work on some of the trees, and the resolution of some earlier problems. We wish Ahier researchers good luck and suggest that they examine every available resource before settling on their best guess at their own family trees.
- Descendants of Thomas Ahier
- Descendants of Lucas Ahier - 2: covers Descendants of Lucas Ahier (1480- ) with more detail
- Descendants of Gedeon Ahier - 2
- Descendants of Philippe Ahier - 2
- Descendants of Richard Ahier, replaces Descendants of Richard Ahier (1351)
- Descendants of Gedeon Ahier - 3: A revised version of the above
- Descendants of Philippe Ahier - 3
- Descendants of Jean Ahier - 2 Added 2021
Church records
- Ahier baptisms in Jersey
- Ahier marriages in Jersey (groom)
- Ahier marriages in Jersey (bride)
- Ahier burials in Jersey
Hospital baptisms
Biographies and family histories
Maritime service
- Ahiers who commanded vessels operating out of Jersey and further afield
- Ahier family members mentioned in a major history of privateering
Great War service
Occupation records
Family wills
Burial records
Family businesses
- Philip Ahier was a glass and china dealer at 53 King Street in the 1830s
- Vibert and Ahier were ironmongers at 5 Queen Street either side of the turn of the 19th century
- Hatter and hosier Aaron William Ahier was at 7 Queen Street either side of the turn of the 19th century
- Francis Ahier ran the Clarence Hotel at 15 Queen Street in the 1880s
Vibert and Ahier, 1905
Ahier bookseller, 1890
1886
1938
1881 advert
1887 advert from L'Almanach de la Gazette de Jersey for Henry Ahier's bookshop and bookbinding business in the Parade
1859
Family album
A fishing permit issued to William Charles Ahier during the German Occupation. Born in Plymouth in 1906 [1] he was a motor mechanic living at Greystones, Clubley Estate, St Helier in 1941, married to Victoria May Tramp (1899-1949) at St Helier Registry Office in 1934
A curfew pass issued to Horace Ahier during the Occupation [2]
Click on any image to see a full-size version
Ahier sisters
Mabel Ahier
May Ahier
Ahier family
Ahier family
Ahier sisters
Ahier family at St Brelade's Bay
Annie and Mabel Ahier
Annie and May Ahier
Annie Ahier
Solicitor Philippe Ahier
P Ahier photographed by Ernest Baudoux
A Mr Ahier photographed by Ernest Baudoux
Members of an unidentified Ahier family pose for a studio portrait
Greta and Freda Ahier with guardian Ada Mary Vibert in 1921
Laura Lawford, nee Ahier, at the front of three of her Vibert aunts - Clara Allo, Ada Mary Bisson and Blanche Le Marquand
Laura Ahier and Harry Lawford
Laura Greta Ahier
Vyvyan Ahier (1913- )
The young Vyvyan Ahier practiced writing his name on the back of a postcard
An Ahier wedding photograph
Laura Greta Ahier
Margie Ahier
Margie Ahier
P J Ahier's champion cow Lady Dorothy II
Laura Greta Ahier on the beach at Beaumont with her husband Henry Charles Lawford and brother Frederick
Frederick Philip Ahier
John Ahier and Anne Esther Louise, nee Cabot
Laura Greta Lawford, nee Ahier, with her aunts Clara Allo, Ada Mary Bisson and Blanche Le Marquand, all nee Vibert
Ada Louise Ahier (1866-1930) photographed in 1885
Florence Ahier
Abraham Philippe Ahier (1890-1961), born in Grouville and emigrated to Toronto He was the son of Abraham and Mary, nee Le Couillard
Jurat Francis Ahier
Capt Philip Ahier, drowned off South India
John Ahier (1855-1946)
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1885.jpg)
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Travel permit
A 1945 travel permit allowing Laura Lawford, nee Ahier, to return to Jersey
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Ahier family gravestones
Click on any image to see a larger version. See the Jerripedia gravestone image collection page for more information about our gravestone photographs
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Almorah cemetery
Trinity Church cemetery
Trinity Church cemetery
Trinity Church cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Old Mont a l’Abbe cemetery
Surville Cemetery
Surville Cemetery
Surville Cemetery
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
St Saviour
St Saviour
St Lawrence
St Lawrence
Tips
The church record links above will open in a new tab in your browser and generate the most up-to-date list of each set of records from our database. These lists replace earlier Family page baptism lists, which were not regularly updated. They have the added advantage that they produce a chronological listing for the family name in all parishes, so you do not have to search through A-Z indexes, parish by parish.
We have included some important spelling variants on some family pages, but it may be worth searching for records for a different spelling variant. Think of searching for variants with or without a prefix, such as Le or De. To search for further variants, or for any other family name, just click on the appropriate link below for the first letter of the family name, and a new tab will open, giving you the option to choose baptism, marriage or burial records. You will then see a list of available names for that type of record and you can select any name from that list. That will display all records of the chosen type for that family name, and you can narrow the search by adding a given name, selecting a parish or setting start and end dates in the form you will see above. You can also change the family name, or search for a partial name if you are not certain of the spelling
The records are displayed 30 to a page, but by selecting the yellow Wiki Table option at the top left of the page you can open a full, scrollable list. This list will either be displayed in a new tab or a pop-up window. You may have to edit the settings of your browser to allow pop-up windows for www.jerripediabmd.net. For the small number of family names for which a search generates more than 1,500 records you will have to refine your search (perhaps using start or end dates) to reduce the number of records found.
New records
Since August 2020 we have added several thousand new records from the registers of Roman Catholic, Methodist and other non-conformist churches. These will appear in date order within a general search of the records and are also individually searchable within the database search form
A--B--C--D--E--F--G--H--I--J--K--L--M--N--O--P--Q--R--S--T--U--V--W--X--Y--Z
Notes and references
- ↑ The permit gives an incorrect spelling of his family name and his birth year
- ↑ This pass is held by Jersey Archive. Visit The Archive online catalogue for more information. A subscription may be needed to view some of the site's content
