Tansil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tansil family

The surname Tansil was first found in Derbyshire at Tansley, a hamlet, in the parish of Crich, union of Bakewell, hundred of Wirksworth. 1 The first record of this family was Hemming de Taneslea who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1175. 2

The hamlet of Tansley dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first recorded as Taneslege. 3 The place name probably meant "woodland clearing of a man called Tan," from the Old English personal name + "leah." 4

Early History of the Tansil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tansil research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tansil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tansil 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 Tansil include Tansley, Tansleigh and others.

Early Notables of the Tansil family

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

Migration of the Tansil family

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 Tansil or a variant listed above: Thomas Tansly settled in New Providence, R.I. in 1683; John Tansley arrived in Philadelphia in 1865.

Contemporary Notables of the name Tansil (post 1700) +

Mamie Tansil, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1924 5
John Bell Tansil (b. 1881), American Democratic Party politician, Yellowstone County Attorney, 1923-29; U.S. Attorney for Montana, 1935-50 5

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html