Contents [hide]

Glyn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Glyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Glyn history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Glyn history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Glyn family originally lived the son of Gerard. The surname Glyn was originally derived from the Old German Gerhard which meant spear-brave. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Glyn family

The surname Glyn was first found in Cornwall, where the Glyn family held a family seat from very ancient times. The name was first recorded in 1100, when Hubert de Glin was living in the manor of Glynn near Bodmin, Cornwall. 1

"The manor of Glynn belonged for many generations to an ancient family of this name; but in the early part of the fourteenth century, the elder branch becoming extinct, it was carried by an heiress from the Glynns to the Carminows. In this family it remained until it was purchased by the descendant of a younger branch of the Glynn family, its ancient possessors, some time before the days of Charles I." 2

"John Dinham, Baron Dinham of Cardinham's estates was sold, with the exception of certain lands, to Dennis Glynn, Esq. the ancestor of E. J. Glynn, Esq. who with some few exceptions, now inherits the whole of the manor of Cardinham. Glynn, the delightful mansion of Edmund John Glynn, Esq. is situated on a gentle eminence that commands an extensive portion of that lovely vale, through which the river Foy flows towards Lostwithiel. De Glynn, who for many generations flourished here in a worshipful degree. It appears from the authority of Doomsday Survey, to have been simply called Glynn; the addition of ford must therefore have been made when the bridge was erected, in which connexion only it can be applied. Mr. Hals says, that Nicholas Glynn, Esq. of Glynford, was sheriff of Cornwall in the reign of James I." 2

Early History of the Glyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glyn research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1468, 1504, 1508, 1534, 1553, 1555, 1557, 1558, 1602, 1606, 1638, 1663, 1665, 1666, 1673, 1690, 1698, 1701, 1711, 1721, 1729 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Glyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glyn Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Glynn, Glynne, Glinn, Glyn, Glin and others.

Early Notables of the Glyn family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Baron Wolverton; Sir John Glynne KS (1602-1666), a Welsh lawyer, Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench; Sir William Glynne, 1st Baronet (1638-1690), a Welsh politician, High Sheriff of Flintshire in 1...
William Glyn (1504-1558), also known as William Glynn or William Glynne, was the Bishop of Bangor from 1555 until his death. He was also President of Queens' College, Cambridge (1553-1557.) "The churc...

Migration of the Glyn family to Ireland

Some of the Glyn 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.

Glyn migration to the United States +

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Glyn:

Glyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Morris Glyn, who settled in Virginia in 1653

Glyn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Glyn, who arrived in New England in 1721
Henry Glyn, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 3
James and Richard Glyn, who immigrated to New England in 1761
James Glyn, who arrived in Virginia in 1770

Glyn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Glyn Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Glyn, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778

Glyn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Glyn, who was recorded in Ontario in 1822

Glyn migration to Australia +

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

Glyn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Glyn, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Catherine Glyn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 5
Andrew Glyn, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Caucasian" 6

Glyn 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:

Glyn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Glyn, aged 12, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Glyn (post 1700) +

William Glyn, American tennis player
Sir Alan Jack Glyn (1918-1998), English Conservative Party Member of Parliament
Ralph George Campbell Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn, Member of Parliament from 1918 to 1922, and from 1924 to 1953
Elinor Glyn (1864-1943), English author and actress from Jersey, Channel Islands, who specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time
Isabella Glyn (1823-1889), Victorian-era Shakespearean actress
Sir Richard Glyn (1755-1838), 1st Baronet, of Gaunt's House, British banker and politician
Sir Richard Glyn OBE, TD, DL (1907-1980), 9th Baronet, a British army officer and Conservative politician
Sidney Glyn (1835-1916), British politician
Sir Richard Glyn (1711-1773), 1st Baronet, of Ewell, British banker and politician
Ralph Glyn MC DL (1884-1960), 1st Baron Glyn, British soldier and Conservative Party politician in the UK
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Hooghly.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 26 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Caucasian 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/caucasian1857.shtml