Contents [hide]

Hession History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hession History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Hession family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, they brought their name with them. It is a name for a door keeper to a king. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old French word l'ussier, meaning the door keeper. This job held considerable status, as it entailed knowing the rank and status of all those who would enter the King's chambers. 1

Early Origins of the Hession family

The surname Hession was first found in Durham where it is said they were descended from Richard de Neuville, the Admiral of Duke William's fleet, who was granted lands originally in Westmorland. His third son was entrusted with the defense of Bridgnorth in 1102.

"James Ussher, the celebrated Archbishop of Armagh, was a son of A. Ussher, one of the six clerks in Chancery, descended from a branch of the Norman family of De Neville, which assumed the name of Le Uschere or Le Huissier, from the office of Ostiarius granted to them by King John. Of this family was the gallant Admiral Sir Thomas Ussher." 2

In Essex, the first record of the family was found at Colchester where Richard Ussier was registered. William le Usser or Lussier was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243 and later, Geoffrey le Uscher was listed in Cambridgeshire in 1300. In Bedfordshire, Richard Lusscher was registered in the Subsidy Rolls of 1319 and in Cumberland, the Subsidy Rolls of 1332 included Adam Husser. 3

Early History of the Hession family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hession research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1550, 1581, 1582, 1613, 1625, 1629 and 1656 are included under the topic Early Hession History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hession Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Usher, Ussher and others.

Early Notables of the Hession family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Ussher (c. 1550-1613), a founder of Trinity College, Dublin and Church of Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh; and James Ussher (Usher) (1581-1656), Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hession Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hession Ranking

In the United States, the name Hession is the 17,306^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Hession family to Ireland

Some of the Hession family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hession migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Hession or a variant listed above:

Hession Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Simon Hession, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 5

Hession migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hession Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Hession, aged 26 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Triton" departing 14th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 24th July 1847 but he died on board 6

Hession 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:

Hession Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Dennis Hession, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1875 7
Mr. Luke Hession, (b. 1882), aged 18, British Settler travelling aboard the ship " Auckland" en route to Invercargill, New Zealand on 25th December 1879 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Hession (post 1700) +

Patrick Edward John Hession, American big band trumpeter
Dennis P. Hession (b. 1950), American attorney, mayor of Spokane, Washington
Paul Hession (b. 1983), Irish track and field sprinter
James Hession, Irish politician, member of the 14th Dáil (1951-1954) from County Galway
Roy Hession (1908-1992), British evangelist and author
Eileen Hession Weiss, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Lafayette, Indiana, 1999

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 79)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html