Show ContentsKemige History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Kemige family

The surname Kemige 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 Kemige family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kemige 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 Kemige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kemige Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Kenys, Kemeys, Kemish, Kemis, Keymich, Camois and many more.

Early Notables of the Kemige 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 Kemige Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kemige family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Kemige or a variant listed above: 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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