Kelsay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Kelsay dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in either North Kelsey or South Kelsey in the county of Lincolnshire. Both parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when they were recorded as Northchelesi and Chelsi, respectively. 1 South Kelsey was established in 1262 and was known at that time as Suthkelleseye. It is thought that the place-name means "island, or dry ground in marsh, of a man called Ceol." 2 3

Early Origins of the Kelsay family

The surname Kelsay was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first records of the name was Brise de Keleseye who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Peter de Keleseve was listed in the same rolls at the same time. 4

It is in this shire that North and South Kelsey are still found today. Over the many years, North Kelsey has remained a small village and civil parish with a population of 959 in 2001 and this includes the small hamlet of North Kelsey Moor. Today, South Kelsey is still smaller village with a population of 571 in 2001. 5

One source claims the name is from Kelsale in Suffolk, 6 but most sources believe the name to be from Lincolnshire. William de Kelesey was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1284 and later Robert Kelsey was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1394. 7

"The Kelseys bear an old Kent name. The ancient Kelseys possessed Kelsey, Beckenham, in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1659 Colonel Kelsey represented Dover in Parliament, and was lieutenant of Dover Castle. A hundred years since, there were Kelseys in Hawking parish. " 8

Early History of the Kelsay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kelsay research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1552, 1574, 1645, 1646, 1651, 1667, 1680, 1724 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Kelsay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelsay Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Kelsay have been found, including Kelsey, Kelsy and others.

Early Notables of the Kelsay family

Distinguished members of the family include Brice Kelsey of Lincolnshire; Henry Kelsey (c.1667-1724), "the Boy Kelsey", who was an English fur trader, explorer, and sailor who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company.Thomas Kelsey (died c. 1680) became an important figure in the government of Oliver Cromwell. Kelsey enlisted in the New Model Army and fought on the side of Parliament during the English Civil War, displaying a zeal...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kelsay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelsay migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Kelsay, or a variant listed above:

Kelsay Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Percy Kelsay, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1920

Contemporary Notables of the name Kelsay (post 1700) +

John Kelsay (1819-1899), American politician and judge, the 18th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Christopher Kelsay (b. 1979), American football outside linebacker in the NFL
David Kelsay (b. 1955), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 2004 9

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html