Hinchcliffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hinchcliffe is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived at Hinchcliff, now named Hinchliffe Mill, a spot in the township of Austonley, close to Holmtorth in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name was derived from the Old English phrase "henge-clif" meaning "steep cliff." 1 2

Early Origins of the Hinchcliffe family

The surname Hinchcliffe was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was John de Hengeclif who was listed in the Court Rolls of the Manor or Wakefield in 1324. Agnes de Hingeclif was listed in the same reference but a few years later in 1327. The Register of Freeman in York list William Hynsecliff in 1485 and Henry Hensceclyf in 1552. John Hyncheclyffe was listed in Sheffield in 1441 and so was John Hinchliffe in 1633. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes de Hyncheclyff; Willelmus de Hynchecliff; and Ricardus de Hynchecliff. 2

Early History of the Hinchcliffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hinchcliffe research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1170 is included under the topic Early Hinchcliffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hinchcliffe 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. Hinchcliffe has been spelled many different ways, including Hinchcliffe, Hinchliffe, Hinchcliff, Hincliffe, Henchcliff and many more.

Early Notables of the Hinchcliffe family

Notables of the family at this time include

Hinchcliffe of Hinchcliffe Hall

Hinchcliffe 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 Hinchcliffes to arrive in North America:

Hinchcliffe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Luke Hinchcliffe, who settled in New York in 1822
Mark Hinchcliffe, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 4

Hinchcliffe migration to Australia +

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

Hinchcliffe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hinchcliffe, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Joseph Hinchcliffe, (b. 1804), aged 26, English carpenter who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1859 6

Hinchcliffe 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:

Hinchcliffe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Hinchcliffe, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Hinchcliffe (post 1700) +

Tony Hinchcliffe, American stand-up comedian and writer, member of the writing staff of the Comedy Central Roast series
John Hinchcliffe, English professional rugby league footballer who played for Castleford (1965-1967)
Albert Hinchcliffe (1860-1935), English-born, Australian trade union organiser and member of the Queensland Legislative Council; his family migrated to Australia in 1864 and settled in Toowoomba, Queensland
Andrew George "Andy" Hinchcliffe (b. 1969), English former professional footballer for the England U21 (1988) and England (1996-1998) National Teams
Philip Michael Hinchcliffe (b. 1944), retired English television producer, writer and script editor from Dewsbury, Yorkshire
Celina Alexandra Hinchcliffe (b. 1976), English television sports presenter, currently presenting for SkySports, daughter of Phillip Hinchcliffe
John Hinchcliffe (1731-1794), Bishop of Peterborough, born in Westminster where his father kept a livery stable in Swallow Street, but had sufficient influence to get his son appointed on the foundation of Westminster School in 1746 7
Joshua Hinchcliffe (1870-1954), English-born, Canadian Anglican clergyman and politician who represented Victoria City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1920 to 1933, Chaplain in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Ryan Hinchcliffe (b. 1984), Australian professional rugby league footballer
Professor Ronald Hinchcliffe (1926-2011), British audiovestibular physician and academic
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020