Kilson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Kilson family

The surname Kilson was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that county.

Early History of the Kilson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kilson research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Kilson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kilson Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Kilson has appeared include Kelsham, Kilsham, Kelshaw, Kilshaw, Kellsham and many more.

Early Notables of the Kilson family

More information is included under the topic Early Kilson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kilson migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Kilson arrived in North America very early:

Kilson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cuthbert Kilson, who landed in Maryland in 1671 1

Citations +

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)