Anford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Anford comes from when the family resided in the township of Handforth, in the parish of Cheadle in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Anford family

The surname Anford was first found in Cheshire at Handforth. "The manor, as early as the reign of Henry III., was in the family of Handford, from whom, with the manor of Bosden, it passed to the Breretons, and subsequently to the Booths." 1

Handford, or Hanford is a parish in the union of Stone, in the hundred of Pirehill in Staffordshire. 1

Of the two, we know that Handforth, Cheshire dates back to the 12th century when it was first known as Haneford and it literally meant "ford frequented by cocks (wild birds)" or "ford at the stones (used as markers)" from the Old English words "hanna" + "ford." 2

As far as early records of the family, we found John de Honford (Handforth) was first listed in Earwaker's History East Cheshire in 1370. The same sources notes Thomas de Honford was listed there in 1398. 3

Handforth Hall is a former manor house in Handforth, Cheshire dating back to 1562 having been built for Sir Urian Brereton.

Early History of the Anford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anford research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1325, 1565, 1598, 1635, 1638 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Anford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anford Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Anford include Handford, Hanford, Handforth and others.

Early Notables of the Anford family

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

Anford migration to Australia +

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

Anford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Anford, (b. 1834), aged 21, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "Truro" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 1st June 1855 4

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf