Newsman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient roots of the Newsman family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Newsman comes from when the family lived in one of the various places called Newsham, Newsam, or Newsholme. These names are common in the north of England and all mean at the new houses. The surname Newsman belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname Newsman belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The name is derived from the Old English words niwe + hus which are an earlier form of niwum or husum which means "place at the new houses". 1

Early Origins of the Newsman family

The surname Newsman was first found in West Yorkshire where the village of Newsome can still be found today, located about 1 mile south of Huddersfield. Newsholme is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire and a township named Newsholm is found in the parish of Gisburne, near Clitheroe in the West Rising of Yorkshire. There are numerous entries in the Domesday Book using the spellings: Neuhusum, Newhusum, Neuhuse and others 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Willelmus de Newsom, dwelling at Newsholm; Alicia de Neusom; and Willelmus de Newsome. 3

Newsham Abbey was an abbey in Newsham, a small hamlet north of Brocklesby village in Lincolnshire. The abbey was the first Premonstratensian house established in England, in 1143. It was suppressed in 1536, and today parts of the abbey are visible as earthworks.

Early History of the Newsman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newsman research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1721 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Newsman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newsman 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 Newsman has appeared include Newsham, Newsam, Newsone, Newson, Newsholme, Newsun and many more.

Early Notables of the Newsman family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Newsman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Newsman family to Ireland

Some of the Newsman 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 Newsman family

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 Newsman arrived in North America very early: James and Elizabeth Newsom, who came to Virginia in 1642; Leonard Newsham, who settled in Virginia in 1663; William Newsham, who came to Boston in 1680.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)