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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
When the ancestors of the Blos family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Worcestershire. The family name, however, is not a reference to any of those locations, but to the family's residence prior to the Norman Conquest, in Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher region of France.
The surname Blos was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat since the reign of Richard I or King John. 1 However, some of the family were established at Bishop's Waltham in Southampton at early times. "Here are the remains of the once magnificent palace annexed to the see of Winchester, built in 1135 by Bishop Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, and greatly embellished by Wykeham. Henry II. held a great council in this palace in 1182." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blos research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1135, 1154, 1205, 1219, 1327, 1497, 1600, 1634, 1686 and 1997 are included under the topic Early Blos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Blos has been recorded under many different variations, including Bloss, Blos, Blois, Bloy, Bleys, Blosse, Bloyce and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Bloss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Sarah Bloss who arrived in America in 1754 and Peter Bloss who arrived in Philadelphia in 1766.