Kingslee History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWhen the ancestors of the Kingslee family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in one of the places called Kingsley in Cheshire or Staffordshire having derived from the Old English word cyningesleah, which means wood or clearing of the king. 1 Thus, Kingslee is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. Early Origins of the Kingslee familyThe surname Kingslee was first found in Cheshire where a "township and estate, the property of Sir Ranulph de Kingsley before 1128 was found. In the XVIII century the family divided into two branches, the younger continuing the name of Kingsley, the elder adopting that of De Aula or Hale." 2 Another early listing of the name was Adam de Kyngeslegh who was listed in East Cheshire. 3 Kingsley is a township, civil parish and a village in the parish of Frodsham, union of Runcorn. 4 It was first listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chingeslie. 5 One of the first records of the family was Kynsige, Kinsius, Kinsi or Cynesige (d. 1060), Archbishop of York "who, it is said, was brought into the world by a Caesarean operation." 6 Early History of the Kingslee familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kingslee research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kingslee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kingslee Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Kingslee have been found, including Kingsley, Kingsleigh, Kingslee, Kinsey and others. Early Notables of the Kingslee familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kingslee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Kingslee familyFor many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Kingslee were among those contributors: Steven Kingsley, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; William Kingsley settled in Virginia in 1623; David Kinsey settled with his wife in Pennsylvania in 1682.
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