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The name Greeneway is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived at the green way or road. The surname Greeneway is derived from the Old English words grene, which means green and weg, which means road. Therefore the original bearers of the Greeneway name lived by the grassy path or road. 1
The surname Greeneway was first found in Devon but we must look to Oxfordshire where to find the first recorded reference of the name as Robert Greneway who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2
In Kent, William de Greneweie was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214 and later, John atte Grenewey was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 1
Again in Somerset, John Grenewey, and John atte Grenewey were both listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3
"Several of the old clothiers of Tiverton [Devon] made good use of their wealth. Among earlier benefactors to the town, connected with the same industry, was John Greenwaye, who erected the Greenwaye chapel and a set of almshouses, about the year 1517, the chapel being the most elaborate and notable portion of the Church of St. Peter. With John Greenwaye was associated his wife Joan. And so another set of almshouses were built by ' John Waldron and Richoard his wyfe,' in 1579. " 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Greeneway research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1491, 1563, 1580, 1584, 1597, 1598, 1603, 1635 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Greeneway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Greeneway are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Greeneway include: Greenway, Greenaway, Greenhay, Greenwaye and others.
Distinguished members of the family include Richard Greenway, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1491. Oswald Tesimond, alias Greenway, (1563-1635), "the English Jesuit, also known as Philip Beaumont, born in Northumberland in 1563, entered the English College at Rome for his higher studies on 9 Sept. 1580, and joined the Society of Jesus on 13 April 1584 by leave of the cardinal protector...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Greeneway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Greeneway or a variant listed above: John, Mary, Catherine, Susannah Greenway, all settled at Nantasket in 1630; Ursula Greenway settled in Boston in 1635; William Greenway settled in Barbados in 1685.