Chisman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain were the first to use the name of Chisman. The name had a practical origin since it came from when its initial bearer worked as a maker or seller of cheese. 1 2

The surname Chisman literally means the cheeseman. The surname Chisman is derived from the Old English word ciese and the West Saxon word cyse, which both mean cheese. The suffix man is one of the most common suffixes for occupational names.

Early Origins of the Chisman family

The surname Chisman was first found in Cheshire where Henry le Cheseman was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1260. A few years later, William le Chesman was listed in Sussex in 1311 and later again, Thomas Chesman, le Chusman was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Over in Somerset, Adam le Chisman and Alice Chisman were listed there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included John le Cheseman, Huntingdonshire. 4

Early History of the Chisman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chisman research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1523, 1553, 1554, 1559, 1563, 1564, 1573, 1574, 1579, 1580, 1584, 1585, 1591, 1592, 1598, 1616, 1620, 1643, 1652, 1665, 1675 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Chisman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chisman 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 Chisman include Cheeseman, Cheesman, Cheesemen and others.

Early Notables of the Chisman family

Distinguished members of the family include John Cheseman (died 1592) of New Romney, Kent, an English solicitor and Member of Parliament for New Romney in October 1553, April 1554 and 1559 and Mayor of New Romney in 1563-1564, 1573-1574, 1579-1580, 1584-1585 and 1591-1592.John Cheesman (c. 1598-1665) was an English merchant and politician that settled in Virginia in the 1620s. He settled in what eventually became Elizabeth City County, Virginia. Early records show that Cheeseman was likely the same...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chisman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chisman migration to the United States +

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 Chisman or a variant listed above:

Chisman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Chisman, aged 27, who landed in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Flying Hart" 5
Edward Chisman, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 5

Chisman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henriette Chisman, aged 28, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Hamet Jessie" in 1836 6
David Chisman, aged 38, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Hamet Jessie" in 1836 6
Salome Chisman, aged 62, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Hamet Jessie" in 1836 6
Louise Chisman, aged 6, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Hamet Jessie" in 1836 6
Cathrin Chisman, aged 1, who arrived at Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Hamet Jessie" in 1836 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chisman (post 1700) +

Mount Edward Chisman, American politician, Postmaster at Hampton, Virginia, 1796-99 7
Mattie K. Chisman, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Hampton, Virginia, 1885-90 7

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html