Kennet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Kennet dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the settlement of Kennett in Cambridgeshire, or in East Kennett or West Kennett in the county of Wiltshire. The surname Kennet belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kennet family

The surname Kennet was first found in Wiltshire. "This place, in Domesday Book called Chenete, was anciently a distinct parish, and was held by the church of St. Mary at Winchester." 1

Early History of the Kennet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kennet research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1237, 1660, 1674, 1715, 1718, 1728 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Kennet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kennet Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Kennet have been found, including Kennet, Kennett Kenet and others.

Early Notables of the Kennet family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

White Kennett (1660-1728), an English bishop and antiquarian from Dover, Bishop of Peterborough (1718-1728)

Kennet migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Kennet, or a variant listed above:

Kennet Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Kennet, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1693 2

Kennet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Kennet, who arrived in Virginia in 1719 2
Benjamine Kennet, who settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1729

Kennet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Kennet who was working as an apothecary in Boston in the 17th century

Kennet migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kennet Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Kennet, (b. 1856), aged 23, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3

The Kennet 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: Audi alteram partem
Motto Translation: Hear the other party.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html