Show ContentsHemelyng History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hemelyng is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hemelyng family lived in Gloucestershire. Their name, however, is local reference of Old French derivation. It is stems from the Old French root hamel, indicating that the original bearer of the name once worked at an outlying farm which was dependent upon a main village. Several areas in Normandy are called Hamelin.

Early Origins of the Hemelyng family

The surname Hemelyng was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where "three of this name are entered as under-tenants: Hamelin homo Hugonis filii Baldrici in Lincolnshire; Hamelin holding of Roger de Montgomery in Sussex, and also mentioned in Devonshire; and Hamelin of Cornwall. 'Whether Hamelin of Devonshire and Hamelin of Cornwall were the same person, does not appear. In the latter county Hamelin held twenty-two manors under the Earl of Mortaine. He is supposed to have been the ancestor of the Trelawny family, and to have resided at Treloen, one of the manors described in the Survey as his property." 1

Early History of the Hemelyng family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemelyng research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1105, 1129, 1148, 1202, 1275, 1533, 1534 and 1539 are included under the topic Early Hemelyng History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemelyng Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Hamelin, Hamelyn, Hamelen, Hamelyng, Hamelyne and others.

Early Notables of the Hemelyng family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hemelyng Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hemelyng family to Ireland

Some of the Hemelyng family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hemelyng family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Hemelyng or a variant listed above: James Hamlin, who came to Barnstable, MA in 1639; James, Joyce, Margaret, Phillip, Hamlin, who all settled in Virginia in 1653; Ezekiel Hamlin, who was on record in Boston in 1655.



  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3


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