Amflet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Amflet family

The surname Amflet was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time.

Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Salwarpe, held by Earl Roger, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. It is believed they were descended from Amfrid by Adeliza, sister of Hugh Grandmesnil through son Humphrey, the Baron Castellan of Hastings who returned to Normandy in 1069. The family were from Tilleul-en-Auge in Calvados or from Amflete, near Boulogne. 2 3

Some of the family were found in Norfolk in early days, as records there show Robert Amflet, Mayor of Lynn Regis in 1516 and William Amflete, rector of West Lexham in 1517. 4 Back in Worcestershire, we found this interesting entry "In 1669 Richard Amphlett sold certain lands in King's Norton to Daniel Greves to hold for 2,000 years." 5

Early History of the Amflet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amflet research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1692, 1704, 1797, 1809, 1868, 1873, 1874 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Amflet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amflet Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Amphlett, Amflett, Amflis, Amphlis, Amphliss, Amphlet, Amflet, Amfliss and many more.

Early Notables of the Amflet family

Sir Richard Paul Amphlett (1809-1883), of Wychbold Hall in Worcestershire. He was an English barrister and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1874. Richard was the eldest of five sons of Rev. Richard Holmden Amphlett of Wychbold Hall, Hadzor, near Droitwich. In 1873 Amphlett...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Amflet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Amflet family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Amflet or a variant listed above: A. William Amphlett, aged 39, who arrived at Ellis Island from Ludlow, England, in 1913; Andrew William Amphlett, aged 40, who arrived at Ellis Island from Bluefields, Nicaragua, in 1913.

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.