Show ContentsNsull History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nsull is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Nsull family once lived in Henshaw in Northumberland, or in the settlement of Henshaw in Prestbury, which is in the county of Cheshire. 1

Of the two, the Northumberland township is the oldest dating back to the 12th century when it was known as Hedeneshalch. 2

Early Origins of the Nsull family

The surname Nsull was first found in Northumberland at Henshaw, a township, in the parish and union of Haltwhistle, W. division of Tindale ward. 3 The first record of the family was actually found in Cumberland (Cumbria) where Peter de Henschal was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1332. Later, Richard de Henneshagh was found in Cheshire in 1365. 4

Henshaw Hall in the parish of Siddington in Cheshire East dates back to at least 1674. This two storey hall was once held by the Henshaw family, but is now a farmhouse.

Early History of the Nsull family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nsull research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1608, 1614, 1618, 1621, 1624, 1628, 1631, 1635, 1639, 1663, 1673, 1679 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Nsull History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nsull Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Nsull family name include Henshaw, Henshall, Henshawe and others.

Early Notables of the Nsull family

Notables of the family at this time include Nathaniel Henshaw (1628-c.1673) Original Fellow, Royal Society in May 5th, 1663. He was the younger son of Benjamin Henshaw, 'one of the captains of the city of London,' who died 4 Dec. 1631. 5 Joseph Henshaw (1608-1679), was Bishop of Peterborough from 1663 until his death. He was the son of Thomas Henshaw, solicitor-general of Ireland. His grandfather, William Henshaw of Worth in Sussex, was descended from an old Cheshire family, resident at Henshaw Hall, in the parish of Siddington, near Congleton. He was one of the...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nsull Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nsull family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Nsull surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Charles Henshaw settled in Maryland in 1742; Benjamin and John Henshaw settled in Boston in 1768; John and Joseph Henshaw settled in Philadelphia in 1840..



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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