Contents [hide]

Greenway History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Greenway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Greenway date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Greenway family lived at the green way or road. The surname Greenway is derived from the Old English words grene, which means green and weg, which means road. Therefore the original bearers of the Greenway name lived by the grassy path or road. 1

Early Origins of the Greenway family

The surname Greenway was first found in Devon but we must look to Oxfordshire where to find the first recorded reference of the name as Robert Greneway who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

In Kent, William de Greneweie was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214 and later, John atte Grenewey was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 1

Again in Somerset, John Grenewey, and John atte Grenewey were both listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3

"Several of the old clothiers of Tiverton [Devon] made good use of their wealth. Among earlier benefactors to the town, connected with the same industry, was John Greenwaye, who erected the Greenwaye chapel and a set of almshouses, about the year 1517, the chapel being the most elaborate and notable portion of the Church of St. Peter. With John Greenwaye was associated his wife Joan. And so another set of almshouses were built by ' John Waldron and Richoard his wyfe,' in 1579. " 4

Early History of the Greenway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greenway research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1491, 1563, 1580, 1584, 1597, 1598, 1603, 1635 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Greenway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenway Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Greenway are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Greenway include: Greenway, Greenaway, Greenhay, Greenwaye and others.

Early Notables of the Greenway family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard Greenway, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1491...
Oswald Tesimond, alias Greenway, (1563-1635), "the English Jesuit, also known as Philip Beaumont, born in Northumberland in 1563, entered the English College at Rome for his higher studies on 9 Sept....

Greenway Ranking

In the United States, the name Greenway is the 7,902^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Greenway family to Ireland

Some of the Greenway family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Greenway migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Greenway or a variant listed above:

Greenway Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ursula Greenway, who settled in Boston in 1635
Ursula Greenway, aged 32, who arrived in New England in 1635 6
John Greenway, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1636 6
Edward Greenway, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 6
Robert Greenway, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 6

Greenway Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Greenway, (b. 1842), aged 44, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Gallia" arriving in the United States on 6 July 1886 7
Miss M. Greenway, (b. 1869), aged 17, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Gallia" arriving in the United States on 6 July 1886 7
Charles E Greenway, who landed in Iowa in 1887 6

Greenway migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Greenway Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Greenway (1838-1908), premier of Manitoba was born in England and originally settled in Ontario

Greenway migration to Australia +

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

Greenway Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Jason Greenway, British Convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. John Greenway, (b. 1821), aged 20, Cornish farm servant travelling aboard the ship "Westminster" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 30th July 1841 9
Mrs. Elizabeth Greenway, (b. 1815), aged 26, Cornish house servant travelling aboard the ship "Westminster" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 30th July 1841 9
Mr. John Greenway, (b. 1821), aged 20, Cornish farm servant departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Westminster" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 30th July 1841 10
Miss Elizabeth Greenway, (b. 1815), aged 26, Cornish house servant departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Westminster" arriving in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia on 30th July 1841 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Greenway 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:

Greenway Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Greenway, aged 15, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
George Greenway, aged 34, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884
Emma Greenway, aged 34, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884
Ada M. Greenway, aged 2, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884

Greenway migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Greenway Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William Greenway, who settled in Barbados in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Greenway (post 1700) +

John Campbell Greenway (1872-1926), American mining, steel and railroad executive
James Cowan Greenway (1903-1989), American ornithologist
R. B. Greenway, American politician, Farmer-Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Virginia, 1920 12
John C. Greenway (d. 1926), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1924 12
John Greenway, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1952, 1956 12
Isabella Selmes Greenway (1886-1953), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Democratic National Committee from Arizona, 1928-34; U.S. Representative from Arizona at-large, 1933-37 12
Bradley K. Greenway, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2000 12
Barbara Greenway, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for U.S. Representative from Utah 3rd District, 1994 12
Brian Greenway (b. 1951), Canadian guitarist, vocalist, and harmonicist
Thomas Greenway (1838-1908), former Premier of Manitoba, Canada
... (Another 2 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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html