Show ContentsSnellgrove History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Snellgrove is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the location of Snellgrove found in the county of Wiltshire. Snell was a personal name that denoted one who was active and lively. Habitation names form a broad category of surnames that were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Snellgrove family

The surname Snellgrove was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Redlynch, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Snellgrove family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Snellgrove research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1640 is included under the topic Early Snellgrove History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Snellgrove Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Snellgrove family name include Snelgrove, Snellgrove and others.

Early Notables of the Snellgrove family

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

Ireland Migration of the Snellgrove family to Ireland

Some of the Snellgrove 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.


United States Snellgrove migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Snellgrove surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Snellgrove Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Snellgrove, aged 21, who landed in Virginia in 1684 1

Canada Snellgrove migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Snellgrove Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Snellgrove was a sail maker in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1794 2

Australia Snellgrove migration to Australia +

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

Snellgrove Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Snellgrove, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Andromache" in 1850 3
  • Charles Snellgrove, aged 24, a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 4
  • George Snellgrove, aged 29, a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 4
  • Richard Snellgrove, aged 42, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Melbourne"

New Zealand Snellgrove migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Snellgrove Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Snellgrove, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
  • John Snellgrove, aged 16, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
  • Henry E. Snellgrove, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Snellgrove (post 1700) +

  • Kenneth Leslie "Ken" Snellgrove (1941-2009), English cricketer for Lancashire, active from 1961 to 1974
  • David Roy Snellgrove (b. 1967), English cricketer
  • Alex Snellgrove, Australian co-founder of Duffy & Snellgrove, a small, independent publishing house founded in 1996
  • David Llewellyn Snellgrove (1920-2016), British Tibetologist, Professor of Tibetan Studies at The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. George Snellgrove (d. 1912), aged 40, English Junior Fourth Engineer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 5


  1. 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)
  2. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ANDROMACHE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Andromache.gif
  4. South Australian Register Friday 14 October 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Standard 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/standard1853.shtml
  5. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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