Helsbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Helsbay reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Helsbay family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Helsbay family lived in a place in Cheshire called Helsby, which was recorded in the Domesday Book as Helesbe. The place-name Helesbe is derived from the Old Norman word hjallr, which means ledge and refers to a ledge on a mountainside, and byr, which means farm or settlement. Thus, the place-name refers to a farm that is located on a ledge on a mountainside. After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror gave his friends and relatives most of the land formerly owned by Anglo-Saxon aristocrats. As a result, the place-name Helsby is of Norman French rather than Old English origin.

Early Origins of the Helsbay family

The surname Helsbay was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Helmsby. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066 at Hastings, the village of Helsby was held by Earl Hugh, Earl of Chester. Conjecturally, it is from an unknown Norman noble who was tenant of this village from the Earl who was the ancestor of this family. The village lay between Helsby Marshes and Helsby Hill.

Early History of the Helsbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Helsbay research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Helsbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Helsbay Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Helsby, Hellsby, Helsbie, Helsbee, Hellsbee and many more.

Early Notables of the Helsbay family

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

Migration of the Helsbay family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Helsbay name or one of its variants: Richard Hellsby who landed in North America in 1710.

The Helsbay Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: En Dieu est mon esperance
Motto Translation: In God is my hope.