Openshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Openshaw surname is a habitational name, taken on from a place called Openshaw, near Manchester. The place name comes from the Old English words "open," meaning not surrounded by a hedge and "sceaga," meaning a "copse," or grove of small trees.

Early Origins of the Openshaw family

The surname Openshaw was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1559 when John Opensha (sometimes Openshawe) was recorded in the Manor and estates. The early records of this name have been lost but it may be presumed that it was originally Opershall which is pronounced the same and is synonymous. Today, Openshaw is a ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester.

Early History of the Openshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Openshaw research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1607 are included under the topic Early Openshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Openshaw Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Openshaw, Opinshaw, Openshall, Opinshall, Opershall, Oppshall and many more.

Early Notables of the Openshaw family

Distinguished members of the family include

the fictional John Openshaw, a Sussex gentleman in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story named "The Five Orange Pips" featuring the famous Sherlock Holmes

Openshaw migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Openshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Openshaw, who settled in New York in 1854 with her 4 year old son, Sam
Mary Openshaw, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1854 1
Samuel Openshaw, aged 4, who landed in New York in 1854 1
James Openshaw, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1887 1

Openshaw migration to Australia +

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

Openshaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Openshaw, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
Mr. John Openshaw, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. John Openshaw, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Openshaw (post 1700) +

Jennifer Openshaw, American CEO of Family Financial Network
William Openshaw (1851-1915), English rugby union international player who playey for the England National Team in 1879
CB CMG FRCS LSA TD Thomas Horrocks "Tommy" Openshaw (1856-1929), English Victorian and Edwardian era surgeon, best known for his involvement in the notorious Jack the Ripper murders of 1888
Sir Charles Peter Lawford Openshaw DL (b. 1947), English judge of the High Court
Olive F. Openshaw, British illustrator, probably best known for her many illustrations in Enid Blyton's Mary Mouse series from 1942 to 1964
Stan Openshaw (b. 1946), retired British geographer, former professor of human geography based in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds

Historic Events for the Openshaw family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Openshaw, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 5

Citations +

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 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html