Show ContentsGravener History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Gravener reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gravener family lived in Kent, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Gravener family

The surname Gravener was first found in Kent where they held a family seat. At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 by Duke William of Normandy the village of Graveney was held by under-tenant Richard the Constable from chief-tenant, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was customary that when the Normans introduced surnames into England the Baron or head of the family gave lands to his sons or other relatives. To distinguished these branches the offspring assumed the name of their holdings, and conjecturally, the surname was derived from Richard of Graveney in Kent, which at Domesday held manor and four salt houses on the edge of marshland.

Early History of the Gravener family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gravener research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1207, 1230, 1376, 1524 and 1546 are included under the topic Early Gravener History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gravener Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Gravener family name include Graveney, Graveny, Gravenel, Graveneye, Gravener, Gravenor and many more.

Early Notables of the Gravener family

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


Australia Gravener migration to Australia +

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

Gravener Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Gravener, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 1


  1. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman


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