Kelcey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Kelcey name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in either North Kelsey or South Kelsey in the county of Lincolnshire. Both parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when they were recorded as Northchelesi and Chelsi, respectively. 1 South Kelsey was established in 1262 and was known at that time as Suthkelleseye. It is thought that the place-name means "island, or dry ground in marsh, of a man called Ceol." 2 3

Early Origins of the Kelcey family

The surname Kelcey was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first records of the name was Brise de Keleseye who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Peter de Keleseve was listed in the same rolls at the same time. 4

It is in this shire that North and South Kelsey are still found today. Over the many years, North Kelsey has remained a small village and civil parish with a population of 959 in 2001 and this includes the small hamlet of North Kelsey Moor. Today, South Kelsey is still smaller village with a population of 571 in 2001. 5

One source claims the name is from Kelsale in Suffolk, 6 but most sources believe the name to be from Lincolnshire. William de Kelesey was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1284 and later Robert Kelsey was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1394. 7

"The Kelseys bear an old Kent name. The ancient Kelseys possessed Kelsey, Beckenham, in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1659 Colonel Kelsey represented Dover in Parliament, and was lieutenant of Dover Castle. A hundred years since, there were Kelseys in Hawking parish. " 8

Early History of the Kelcey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kelcey research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1552, 1574, 1645, 1646, 1651, 1667, 1680, 1724 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Kelcey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelcey 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 Kelcey were recorded, including Kelsey, Kelsy and others.

Early Notables of the Kelcey family

Distinguished members of the family include Brice Kelsey of Lincolnshire; Henry Kelsey (c.1667-1724), "the Boy Kelsey", who was an English fur trader, explorer, and sailor who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company.Thomas Kelsey (died c. 1680) became an important figure in the government of Oliver Cromwell. Kelsey enlisted in the New Model Army and fought on the side of Parliament during the English Civil War, displaying a zeal...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kelcey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelcey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kelcey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Kelcey, English gentleman who was convicted in Kent, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1865 9

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian