Kentisburay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Kentisburay is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the county of Kent. The surname Kentisburay belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names. As a general rule, the greater the distance between individuals and their homelands, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, people who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of the region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Kentisburay family

The surname Kentisburay was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. The first record of this family was at Thatcham, shown in the Domesday Book as King's Land, containing a church and two mills. This is one of Berkshire's oldest villages.

The Hundreodumn Rolls had two early listings for the family and both had the Norman "de" prefix which was quite common at the time: Robert de Kent, Norfolk; and Gilbert de Kent, Lincolnshire. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, the family was "settled at Innerwick in East Lothian, in the middle of the twelfth century. Radulfus de Kent received some lands in Ennyrwic from Walter the Steward c. 1165, and before 1177 he witnessed the gift of the church of Cragin (Craigie) in Kyle to the monks of Paisley. " 2

Early History of the Kentisburay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kentisburay research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1190, 1296, 1379, 1383, 1390, 1391, 1392, 1393, 1394, 1401, 1402, 1404, 1405, 1406, 1409, 1410 and 1413 are included under the topic Early Kentisburay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kentisburay Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kentisburay are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Kentisburay include: Kent, Kents, Kentish and others.

Early Notables of the Kentisburay family

Notables of the family at this time include John Kent (died 1413), a politician from Reading in the English county of Berkshire, a mercer in the town of Reading and was elected Mayor there for the years 1391-1392, 1393-1394, 1401-1402...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kentisburay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kentisburay family to Ireland

Some of the Kentisburay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kentisburay family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kentisburay or a variant listed above: Humphrey Kent and his wife Joane, who settled in Virginia in 1619; Richard and Stephen Kent who settled in Newbury Port in Massachusetts in 1634; Edward Kent, who settled in New England in 1630.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)