| ![Show Contents]() Heiford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Heiford familyThe surname Heiford was first found in Oxfordshire 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 Heyford, held by Roger from the Baron Robert d'Oilly who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The Baron came from Ouilly le Basset near Falaise and he was a trusted follower of William the Conqueror. The Baron built Oxford and Wallingford Castles. He held 51 domains in Oxfordshire and had a large family. Early History of the Heiford familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heiford research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heiford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Heiford Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Heyford, Hayford, Haiford, Heiford, Heighford, Haighford, Heafford, Hefford and many more. Early Notables of the Heiford familyMore information is included under the topic Early Heiford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Heiford 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: Heiford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Richard Heiford, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875
- Ellen Heiford, aged 25, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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Heiford migration to New Zealand 
