Show ContentsFourniss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the Fourniss name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the district named Furness on the South coast of Cumberland. Eraly records show the name in Lancashire too. The place name is thought to have Old Norse origins which was usually assigned as a name for a peninsula.

Early Origins of the Fourniss family

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

Early History of the Fourniss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fourniss research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1658, 1687, 1700, 1701, 1708, 1712 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Fourniss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fourniss 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 Fourniss include Furness, Furniss, Furnesse, Furnes, Furnesed, Furnace, Furnice, Furnas and many more.

Early Notables of the Fourniss family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fourniss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fourniss 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 Fourniss or a variant listed above: Henry Furnace who settled in Philadelphia in 1683 with his wife Katherine and five children; Amy Furness settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1719; Katherine Furnice settled in Pennsylvania in 1772.



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