Cornford Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Cornford family

The surname Cornford was first found in Durham where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1242 when Thomas Cornford held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Cornford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornford research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1339, 1455, 1469, 1487, 1520, 1570, 1601, 1653 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Cornford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornford Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Cornford has been spelled many different ways, including Cornforth, Carnforth, Cornford, Carnford, Cornfoot, Cornfute, Corphat, Cornfut and many more.

Early Notables of the Cornford family

Distinguished members of the family include

Cornford of Durham

Cornford migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Cornfords to arrive in North America:

Cornford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. Cornford, who arrived in America in 1830 1
John Cornford, who landed in America in 1830 1

Cornford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cornford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cornford, British convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Cornford migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cornford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Cornford, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Joseph Cornford, (b. 1799), aged 42, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
Mrs. Mary Cornford, (b. 1805), aged 36, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
Mr. William Cornford, (b. 1829), aged 12, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
Mr. Thomas Cornford, (b. 1826), aged 15, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cornford (post 1700) +

Rupert John Cornford, English poet
Walter Latter Cornford (1900-1964), English cricketer
Francis Macdonald Cornford, English classical scholar and poet

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html