Show ContentsHorsfall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Horsfall family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the settlement of Horsfall in Todmorden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name Horsfall may have also been applied as an occupational surname to someone who worked at a stable or horse pasture. The surname is derived from the Old English words hors, which means horse, and falod, which means enclosure or field.

Early Origins of the Horsfall family

The surname Horsfall was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Horsfall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Horsfall research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1586, 1609, 1661 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Horsfall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Horsfall 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 Horsfall include Horsfall, Horsefall, Horsfal, Horesfall and others.

Early Notables of the Horsfall family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • John Horsfall of Yorkshire, Bishop of Ossory from 1586-1609

Ireland Migration of the Horsfall family to Ireland

Some of the Horsfall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Horsfall 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 Horsfall or a variant listed above:

Horsfall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James W Horsfall, aged 22, who landed in Georgia in 1812 [1]
  • John Horsfall to Philadelphia in 1844
  • John Horsfall to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1884

Australia Horsfall migration to Australia +

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

Horsfall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edwin Horsfall, British convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [2]
  • Mr. Abraham Horsfall, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [3]
  • Mr. Allen Horsfall, (b. 1829), aged 21, English labourer who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years for burglary, transported aboard the ""Blenheim"" on 24th July 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island, Australia [4]

New Zealand Horsfall 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:

Horsfall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Horsfall, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Solent" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th July 1857 [5]
  • Mrs. Horsfall, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Solent" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th July 1857 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Horsfall (post 1700) +

  • Frank Lappin Horsfall (1906-1971), American clinician and virologist
  • Bernard Horsfall, English television and film actor
  • John Campbell Horsfall (1912-1976), Australian economist and newspaper editor
  • Basil Arthur Horsfall (1887-1918), Ceylonese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces
  • Alton Horsfall Ph.D., British Lecturer at the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering of the University of Newcastle
  • Geoffrey Jonas Horsfall, Australian Judge of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands
  • George Horsfall Frodsham (1863-1937), English-born, Anglican bishop, Bishop of North Queensland (1902 -1913)
  • Harold Horsfall Hilton (1869-1942), English amateur golfer, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame (1978)


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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