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Hanshaw History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hanshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Hanshaw name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Henshaw in Northumberland, or in the settlement of Henshaw in Prestbury, which is in the county of Cheshire. 1

Of the two, the Northumberland township is the oldest dating back to the 12th century when it was known as Hedeneshalch. 2

Early Origins of the Hanshaw family

The surname Hanshaw was first found in Northumberland at Henshaw, a township, in the parish and union of Haltwhistle, W. division of Tindale ward. 3 The first record of the family was actually found in Cumberland (Cumbria) where Peter de Henschal was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1332. Later, Richard de Henneshagh was found in Cheshire in 1365. 4

Henshaw Hall in the parish of Siddington in Cheshire East dates back to at least 1674. This two storey hall was once held by the Henshaw family, but is now a farmhouse.

Early History of the Hanshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hanshaw research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1608, 1614, 1618, 1621, 1624, 1628, 1631, 1635, 1639, 1663, 1673, 1679 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Hanshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hanshaw Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hanshaw include Henshaw, Henshall, Henshawe and others.

Early Notables of the Hanshaw family

Notables of the family at this time include Nathaniel Henshaw (1628-c.1673) Original Fellow, Royal Society in May 5th, 1663. He was the younger son of Benjamin Henshaw, 'one of the captains of the city of London,' who died 4 Dec. 1631. 5Joseph Henshaw (1608-1679), was Bishop of Peterborough from 1663 until his death. He was the son of Thomas Henshaw, solicitor-general of Ireland. His grandfather, William Henshaw of Worth in Sussex, was descended from an old Cheshire family, resident at Henshaw Hall, in the parish of Siddington, near Congleton. He was one of the...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hanshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hanshaw Ranking

In the United States, the name Hanshaw is the 10,761^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Hanshaw migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hanshaw or a variant listed above:

Hanshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Hanshaw, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 7
Thomas W. Hanshaw, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
I.E. Hanshaw, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894

Hanshaw Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Gladys Victoria Hanshaw, aged 10, who settled in America from Manchester, England, in 1911
Ernest W. Hanshaw, aged 34, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1911
Fanny Hanshaw, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Manchester, England, in 1911
George L. Hanshaw, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1918
Wm. Hanshaw, aged 39, who landed in America, in 1923
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hanshaw migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hanshaw Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Mabel Hanshaw, aged 27, who immigrated to Saskatoon, Canada, in 1915

Hanshaw migration to Australia +

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

Hanshaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Betsy Hanshaw, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Punjab"

Hanshaw 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:

Hanshaw Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Hanshaw, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Persia" in 1860

Contemporary Notables of the name Hanshaw (post 1700) +

Thomas Hanshaw, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Mingo County, 1968 8
Sue Hanshaw, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 2008 8
Anthony Lavar Hanshaw (b. 1978), American Light-Heavyweight professional boxer, winner of the 1998 National Golden Gloves
Catherine Annette Hanshaw (1901-1985), American jazz singer

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html