Halsall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Halsall is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Halsall family lived in Lancashire, as Lords of the Manor of Halsall.
Early Origins of the Halsall family
The surname Halsall was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Halsall. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 the village of Halsall was held by Count Roger de Poitou, a Norman noble who was Earl of Lancaster, and conjecturally the Halsalls are descended from this line. "The manor [of Birkdale, Lancashire], in the reign of Henry IV., was held by the Halsalls." 1 Unfortunately, by the 17th century the manor was passed on to other families.
Perhaps this entry will shed some light into the lost manor. "By this time there had probably been an infeudation in favour of the Halsall family. In 1346, the fourth part of a knight's fee in Argar Meols was held by Otes de Halsall; he rendered 10s [(shillings)], but it was stated that the place 'had been annihilated by the sea and there was no habitation there.' From an inquisition taken in 1404, it appears that the manors of Argar Meols and Birkdale had been held by Otes' father, Gilbert, so that the transfer from the old lords to the new must have taken place about 1320. " 2
Early History of the Halsall family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halsall research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1548 and 1599 are included under the topic Early Halsall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Halsall Spelling Variations
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Halsall family name include Hallsall, Halsall, Halshall, Hawshall, Halsell, Hallsell and many more.
Early Notables of the Halsall family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Migration of the Halsall family to Ireland
Some of the Halsall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Halsall migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Halsall family to immigrate North America:
Halsall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- George Halsall, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1645 3
Halsall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Halsall, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844
- John Halsall, aged 59, who arrived in New York in 1868 3
Halsall migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Halsall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- James Halsall, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Lysander" 4
Halsall migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Halsall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- William Halsall, aged 34, a ploughman, who arrived in Napier aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
- Alice Halsall, aged 28, who arrived in Napier aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
Contemporary Notables of the name Halsall (post 1700) +
- William Formby Halsall (1841-1919), English-born, American marine artist, founding member of the Provincetown Art Association in 1914
- Eric Halsall (1920-1996), English countryman, author and television presenter
- Hector Halsall (b. 1900), English professional rugby league footballer
- Norman Richard Halsall (b. 1935), former English cricketer
- Michael "Mick" Halsall (b. 1961), English former footballer
- Alan Halsall (b. 1982), English actor best known for his role in Coronation Street
- Peter Halsall, former Australian rules footballer
- Richard Grant Halsall (b. 1968), former Zimbabwean cricketer
- Dano Halsall (b. 1963), former freestyle swimmer from Switzerland
- Francesca Halsall (b. 1990), British freestyle and butterfly swimmer
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Lysander.htm