Hobsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Hobsen came from the given name for the son of Robert, which was originally derived from the nickname, Hob. 1

Early Origins of the Hobsen family

The surname Hobsen was first found in Essex, where John Hobbessone was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Another John, John Hobsone, was recorded in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1327. 2

In Somerset, William Hobbeson, was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 3

Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Petrus Hobbeson, Willelmus Hobbeson, and Robertus Hobson. 1

Early History of the Hobsen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hobsen research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1527, 1544, 1561, 1568, 1631, 1642, 1666, 1685, 1717, 1759, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hobsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hobsen 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 Hobsen family name include Hobson, Hopson and others.

Early Notables of the Hobsen family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Hobson (1544?-1631), carrier of Cambridge, eldest son of Thomas Hobson and Elinor his wife, was born in or about 1544, probably at Buntingford, Hertfordshire, of which place his father was a native. "The father, a carrier by trade, who settled in Cambridge in 1561, was at the time of his death in 1568 one of the treasurers of the corporation. He devised his copyhold lands in Grantchester to his son Thomas, to whom he bequeathed ‘the team ware that he now goeth with, that is to say, the cart and eight horses...
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hobsen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hobsen family to Ireland

Some of the Hobsen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 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 Hobsen family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, 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 Hobsen surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Edward Hobson settled in Virginia in 1619 one year before the "Mayflower"; Elizabeth Hobson settled in Virginia in 1654; Henry Hobson settled in Barbados in 1654.

The Hobsen 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: Fortitudine
Motto Translation: With fortitude.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.