Sammways History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Sammways name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Samuel. This ancient Hebrew font name meaning name of God was not common in the Middle Ages, but was not necessarily of Jewish origin. There were many records of the surname Sammways of English descent.

Early Origins of the Sammways family

The surname Sammways was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. The family name first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Sammways family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sammways research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1559, 1569, 1628, 1654, 1674, 1676, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1705 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Sammways History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sammways 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 Sammways family name include Samwell, Samuel, Samuell, Samway, Samuels and others.

Early Notables of the Sammways family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Samuel (fl. 1551-1569), English divine and poet, perhaps connected with the Samwells of Northampton; Sir William Samwell (1559-1628), Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I of England; William Samwell (1628-1676) was an English architect; and Sir Thomas Samwell, 1st Baronet (c.1654-1694), Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire from 1689 to 1690 and Northampton from 1690 to 1694. Edward Samuel (1674-1748), Welsh...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sammways Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sammways family to Ireland

Some of the Sammways family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sammways family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, 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 Sammways surname or a spelling variation of the name include : John Samuel settled in Nantasket in 1630; Roger Samuel settled in Barbados in 1684; Edward Samuel settled in Virginia in 1643; Rowland Samuell settled in Barbados in 1654..