Show ContentsHeptinstall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Heptinstall is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Heptinstall family once lived in the township of Heptonstall, which was in the parish of Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Heptinstall belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The Battle of Heptonstall in 1643 at Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall during the English civil war was a Royalist victory over the Parliamentarians.

Early Origins of the Heptinstall family

The surname Heptinstall was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Heptinstall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heptinstall research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1296, 1500, 1558, 1668, 1797 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Heptinstall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heptinstall Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Heptinstall family name include Hepenstal, Heponstall, Heptonstall, Hepponstall, Heptinstall, Hepinstall, Heppenstal and many more.

Early Notables of the Heptinstall family

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

Ireland Migration of the Heptinstall family to Ireland

Some of the Heptinstall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Heptinstall migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Heptinstall surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Heptinstall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Heptinstall, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1922
  • John Stuart Heptinstall, aged 27, who immigrated to America, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Heptinstall (post 1700) +

  • Patrick H. Heptinstall, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Princeton, Virginia, 1856-57 1
  • Professor Stanley Heptinstall MBE, BSc, PhD, (b. 1946), English Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis at the University of Nottingham
  • Leslie George Heptinstall, British diplomat


The Heptinstall 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: Virescrit vulnere virtus
Motto Translation: Her virtue flourishes by her wound.


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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