The surname Grimsteed was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Grimstead when Herbert, a Norman noble was under tenant to Waleran Hunter who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.
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Early History of the Grimsteed family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimsteed research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1630 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Grimsteed History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Grimsteed Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Grimstead, Grimsteed, Grimsted, Grimstede, Grinstead, Grinsted and many more.
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Early Notables of the Grimsteed family
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grimsteed Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Grimsteed family
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Rich Grimstead, who received a land patent in Virginia in 1679; Sarah Grimstead, who came to Virginia in 1705; William Grimstead, who arrived in Annapolis, MD in 1757.
England
