Henchawe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Henchawe family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Henshaw in Northumberland, or in the settlement of Henshaw in Prestbury, which is in the county of Cheshire. 1

Of the two, the Northumberland township is the oldest dating back to the 12th century when it was known as Hedeneshalch. 2

Early Origins of the Henchawe family

The surname Henchawe was first found in Northumberland at Henshaw, a township, in the parish and union of Haltwhistle, W. division of Tindale ward. 3 The first record of the family was actually found in Cumberland (Cumbria) where Peter de Henschal was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1332. Later, Richard de Henneshagh was found in Cheshire in 1365. 4

Henshaw Hall in the parish of Siddington in Cheshire East dates back to at least 1674. This two storey hall was once held by the Henshaw family, but is now a farmhouse.

Early History of the Henchawe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henchawe research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1608, 1614, 1618, 1621, 1624, 1628, 1631, 1635, 1639, 1663, 1673, 1679 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Henchawe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henchawe Spelling Variations

Until 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 Henchawe include Henshaw, Henshall, Henshawe and others.

Early Notables of the Henchawe family

Notables of the family at this time include Nathaniel Henshaw (1628-c.1673) Original Fellow, Royal Society in May 5th, 1663. He was the younger son of Benjamin Henshaw, 'one of the captains of the city of London,' who died 4 Dec. 1631. 5 Joseph Henshaw (1608-1679), was Bishop of Peterborough from 1663 until his death. He was the son of Thomas Henshaw, solicitor-general of Ireland. His grandfather, William Henshaw of Worth in Sussex, was descended from an old Cheshire family, resident at Henshaw Hall, in the parish of Siddington, near Congleton. He was one of the...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Henchawe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Henchawe family

Searching 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 Henchawe or a variant listed above: Charles Henshaw settled in Maryland in 1742; Benjamin and John Henshaw settled in Boston in 1768; John and Joseph Henshaw settled in Philadelphia in 1840..

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print