Sessom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Sessom is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sessom family lived in Gloucestershire, at the manor of Siston, from whence their name was derived.

Early Origins of the Sessom family

The surname Sessom was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Siston, held at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, a survey of England taken by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in Hastings in 1066 A.D. In this survey the village of Siston was held by Roger de Berkeley. Conjecturally they were descended from Roger, and as it was the tradition of Norman families, the second or third son usually adopted the name of his manor or lands.

Early History of the Sessom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sessom research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1661, 1690, 1720, 1749 and 1783 are included under the topic Early Sessom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sessom 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 Siston, Sistons, Syston, Sistun, Systun, Sisson, Sissons, Sysun, Sisun, Sissun, Sison, Sisons, Syson, Sysson, Session, Sesion and many more.

Early Notables of the Sessom family

More information is included under the topic Early Sessom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sessom family to Ireland

Some of the Sessom 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.

Migration of the Sessom family

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 Sessom or a variant listed above: George Sisson, who immigrated to Rhode Island in 1635; William Sisson, who came to Maryland in 1774; R. Sisson, who arrived in New York State in 1823.