| ![Show Contents]() Hartestay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancestors of the bearers of the Hartestay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the village of Hardisty Hill located in the parish of Fewston, in the county of Yorkshire. In it's Old English form this place-name was originally Hardolfsty with its origin in the name Hardulf. "The Hardistys hail from the parish of Fewston, seven miles from Otley. The name is still familiar there, and Hardisty Hill is a spot there. The Hardistys (chiefly farmers) have probably not moved from their home for six centuries." 1 Early Origins of the Hartestay familyThe surname Hartestay was first found in Yorkshire, where the first record was of John de Hardolfsty who was listed as a Freeman of York in 1379. Later, William Hardosty was listed as a freeman in 1450 and John Hardesty was later listed as freeman in 1659. 2 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include entries for Johannes de Hardolfsty and Stephanus de Hardolfsty. "These instances come from Timble Great (Villa de Tymble), a village in the parish of Fewston. The little stock has ramified well. Many of our largest represented surnames hail from a single pair located in a small spot. A large family of boys, who marry, and beget boys, soon sets the ball rolling." 1 Early History of the Hartestay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hartestay research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Hartestay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hartestay Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Hartestay include Hardisty, Hardesty, Hardistry, Hardest and others. Early Notables of the Hartestay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hartestay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Hartestay familySearching 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 Hartestay or a variant listed above: George Hardest, who sailed to Virginia in 1651 and John Hardisty to Maryland in 1813.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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