Holsy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Holsy name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the county of Devon in an area that was near the hazel-trees. Holsy is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Holsy family

The surname Holsy was first found in Surrey where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Holsy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holsy research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1708, 1839, 1920 and 1927 are included under the topic Early Holsy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holsy Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Holsy were recorded, including Halsey, Hallsey and others.

Early Notables of the Holsy family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas Frederick Halsey, 1st Baronet PC (1839-1927), an English politician; and John Halsey (died 1708) was a colonial American privateer and a later pirate who was active in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during the early 18th century. According to Forbes, he was the eighth highest earning pirate...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holsy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Holsy family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Holsy family emigrate to North America: Thomas Halsey of Geddesden Park settled in Long Island in 1640; John Halsey settled in Boston Mass in 1635 with his brother Richard; George Halsey settled in New England in 1630.

The Holsy 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: Nescit vox missa reverti
Motto Translation: When a word is once spoken it cannot be recalled.