Show ContentsKemes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Kemes family

The surname Kemes was first found in Huntingdonshire. "The links between the Conqueror's companion in arms and the first recorded ancestor of the baronial house of Camoys have not been ascertained. We cannot ascend in the genealogy to a more remote period than that of the third Henry, when we find Ralph de Camois restored to certain lands in Huntingdonshire, which had been seized upon by the crown in the preceding reign, owing to his participation in the rebellion of the barons. From him derived Sir Thomas de Camoys, of Broadwater, in Surrey, Knight Banneret, an eminent warrior of the times of Richard II., Henry IV., and Henry V., who commanded the left wing of the English army at Azincourt, and for his services on that occasion was honoured with the Garter. He had received summonses to Parliament as Baron Camoys, from the 7th Richard II. to the 8th Henry V. " 1

Early History of the Kemes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kemes research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1543, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1641, 1648, 1658, 1673, 1678, 1688, 1689, 1702, 1713, 1715, 1716, 1734 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Kemes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kemes Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Kemes family name include Kenys, Kemeys, Kemish, Kemis, Keymich, Camois and many more.

Early Notables of the Kemes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Charles Kemeys (c.1614-1658), second child of the Kemeys Baronets, a Welsh family of landowners in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales; William Kemeys was High Sheriff of the County of Monmouth in 1678, and listed in Blome's List of Monmouthshire Gentry in...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kemes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kemes family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Kemes family to immigrate North America: Samuel Kemys, age 14, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1775; John Kemeys, who came to America in 1767; as well as Elizabeth Kemeys, and William Kemeys, who both came to New York in 1797..



  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.


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