Hansforthey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Hansforthey name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the township of Handforth, in the parish of Cheadle in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Hansforthey family

The surname Hansforthey was first found in Cheshire at Handforth. "The manor, as early as the reign of Henry III., was in the family of Handford, from whom, with the manor of Bosden, it passed to the Breretons, and subsequently to the Booths." 1

Handford, or Hanford is a parish in the union of Stone, in the hundred of Pirehill in Staffordshire. 1

Of the two, we know that Handforth, Cheshire dates back to the 12th century when it was first known as Haneford and it literally meant "ford frequented by cocks (wild birds)" or "ford at the stones (used as markers)" from the Old English words "hanna" + "ford." 2

As far as early records of the family, we found John de Honford (Handforth) was first listed in Earwaker's History East Cheshire in 1370. The same sources notes Thomas de Honford was listed there in 1398. 3

Handforth Hall is a former manor house in Handforth, Cheshire dating back to 1562 having been built for Sir Urian Brereton.

Early History of the Hansforthey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hansforthey research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1325, 1565, 1598, 1635, 1638 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Hansforthey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hansforthey Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hansforthey include Handford, Hanford, Handforth and others.

Early Notables of the Hansforthey family

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

Migration of the Hansforthey family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hansforthey or a variant listed above: Thomas Handford settled in Scituate in Massachusetts in 1645; and became a Freeman of that colony; Jane, Martha and Richard Handford settled in New England in 1754..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)