The name Hearnshawe is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in or near a woods where golden eagles lived. Hearnshawe is a compound of the Old English words earn and sceaga.Earn was the Old English name for the golden eagles, and sceaga was a word that meant forest or wilderness. The original bearer of this name must have lived in or near a woods noted for its eagle population. Interestingly, the modern word erne is the name of the sea eagle, a related but separate species of bird to the golden eagle. Golden eagles are very rare in the British Isles today, but in the Middle Ages they were a common bird of prey. Their range was in the northern part of the island, and they were particularly fond of mountainous terrain. Most golden eagles were found in the Pennines and in the Scottish Highlands.
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Early Origins of the Hearnshawe family
The surname Hearnshawe was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
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Early History of the Hearnshawe family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hearnshawe research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1316 is included under the topic Early Hearnshawe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Hearnshawe 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 Hearnshawe 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Hearnshawe include: Earnshaw, Earnshawe, Ernshaw, Earnshay and others.
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Early Notables of the Hearnshawe family
More information is included under the topic Early Hearnshawe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Hearnshawe family
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 Hearnshawe or a variant listed above: Mary, Anna, and Ann Ernshaw who arrived in Philadelphia in 1820; Eli Earnshaw arrived in Philadelphia in 1848; Francis, George, and Lewis Earnshaw arrived in Philadelphia in 1860.
England
