|
![Show Contents]() Jenness History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England France
Early Origins of the Jenness familyThe surname Jenness was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands, Etienne de Gennes, a Norman of Anjou, from whom was descended Ettiennes de Gennes, Lord of Le Motte de Geenes in 1144 and who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Jenness familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jenness research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1401, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Jenness History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Jenness Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Jenness include Jennes, Jenne, Jenn, Jeune, LaJeune, Chenn, Genn, Genne, Gens and many more. Early Notables of the Jenness familyMore information is included under the topic Early Jenness Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Jenness migration to the United States | + |
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Jennesss to arrive on North American shores:
Jenness Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Job Jenness, who landed in New England in 1750 2
Jenness Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- J. H. Jenness who settled in San Francisco in 1852
| Contemporary Notables of the name Jenness (post 1700) | + |
- John Springsteed Jenness, Manufacturing and Development Executive, New York City
- Stuart Edward Jenness, Government Official, Ottawa, Ontario
- Robert Allan Jenness, Canadian Government Official, Ottawa, Ontario
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
|
Jenness migration to the United States 
