Connis History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsConnis is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Connis family lived in Cambridgeshire, in the parish of Connington. Early Origins of the Connis familyThe surname Connis was first found in Cambridgeshire, at Conington, a parish, in the union of St. Ives, hundred of Papworth. "The lordship, together with the ancient castle, of which there are some vestiges in the village, was given by Canute to Turkill, a Danish lord, who, taking advantage of his residence among the East Angles, invited over Sueno to plunder the country. After Turkill's departure it fell to Waldeof, Earl of Huntingdon, who married Judith, niece to the Conqueror, from whom it descended to the royal line of Scotland. " 1 Accordingly, the place name literally means "The king's manor, the royal estate," from the Old Scandinavian word "konunger" + the Old English word "tun." 2 It was listed twice in the Domesday Book of 1086, once as Coninctune and secondly as Cunitone. 3 One of the first on records was Richard Conyngton (d. 1330), Franciscan, who "studied at the university of Oxford, where he proceeded to the degree of doctor in theology. He must also have lived for some time on the continent, since a younger contemporary, the famous John Baconthorpe, says he was a pupil of Henry of Ghent. Conyngton was held in high repute as a schoolman." 4 Early History of the Connis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connis research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1340 are included under the topic Early Connis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Connis Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Connington, Connigton, Conitone, Conyton, Coniton, Conintone and many more. Early Notables of the Connis familyMore information is included under the topic Early Connis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Connis or a variant listed above: Connis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
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