Glenfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Glenfield is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Glenfield family lived in Suffolk. The name however, is not a reference to this place, but to the family's place of residence sometime prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Glanville, near Calvados, Normandy. 1

The Glanville variant dates back to Ranulf de Glanville (d. 1190), Chief Justiciar of England. "His family, which probably derived its name from Glanville, near Lisieux, seems to have settled in Suffolk at or soon after the Norman Conquest, and to have become moderately wealthy. Ranulf, it is said, was born at Stratford, that is at Stratford St. Andrew, near Saxmundham. " 2

Bartholomew de Glanville (fl. 1230-1250), was "the name erroneously given to Bartholomew Anglicus or the Englishman." 2

Gilbert de Glanville (d. 1214), was Bishop of Rochester, and a kinsman of Ranulf de Glanville [q. v.], and a native of Northumberland. 2

Early Origins of the Glenfield family

The surname Glenfield was first found in Suffolk an Norfolk. Bromeholme in the parish of Bacton in Norfolk was an ancient family seat established shortly after the Norman Conquest. "A priory for Cluniac monks, dedicated to St. Andrew, was founded in 1113, by William de Glanvill, and for some time subsisted as a cell to the monastery at Castle Acre." 3 Again in Suffolk, but this time in Leiston, Ranulph de Glanville endowed the monastery there in honour of the Virgin Mary in 1182.

Devon was an ancient homestead to the family as "Harwell was a seat of the Glanvilles for some three centuries before they removed to Kilworthy." 4

Early History of the Glenfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glenfield research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1586, 1600, 1636, 1640, 1645, 1652, 1661, 1664, 1680 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Glenfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glenfield Spelling Variations

Norman 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 Glanfield, Glanville, Glenville and others.

Early Notables of the Glenfield family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Glanvill (1664?-1735), English poet and translator, born at Broad Hinton, Wiltshire, about 1664, the son of Julius Glanvil of Lincoln's Inn. 2 Joseph Glanvill (1636-1680), was an English divine, third son of Nicholas Glanvill of Halwell, Whitchurch, Devonshire, was born at Plymouth in 1636, and entered...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glenfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glenfield migration to Australia +

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

Glenfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Glenfield, English Convict from Derby, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5

Glenfield 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:

Glenfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. W. Glenfield, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1866

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851