Impey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
In ancient Anglo Saxon England, the Impey family lived in the area that was referred to as Impey in the county of Essex. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English word "imphaga" which denoted "an enclosure that housed young trees." In this case the original bearers most likely lived near an area where there were young trees or saplings. 1
Early Origins of the Impey family
The surname Impey was first found in Sussex where John atte Imphage was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. The same ancient English rolls also listed John de Impey in Suffolk. 1
"This name is or has been numerous in Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and Essex, in which last county stands Impey Hall." 2
Early History of the Impey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Impey research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Impey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Impey Spelling Variations
Impey has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Impey, Impy, Impie and others.
Early Notables of the Impey family
Distinguished members of the family include
Impey migration to the United States +
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Impeys to arrive on North American shores:
Impey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Thomas Impey, who settled in Maryland in 1740 with his wife Alice
Impey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Impey, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1833 3
Impey migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Impey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Joseph Impey, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
- Mr. James Impey, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 12th December 1849, arriving in Norfolk Island and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Impey (post 1700) +
- John Impey (d. 1829), English legal writer who for over sixty years a member of the Inner Temple, although he practised as an attorney at 3 Inner Temple Lane 6
- Andy Impey (b. 1971), English footballer
- Chris Impey, American Professor of Astronomy at Arizona University
- Sir Elijah Impey (1732-1809), British judge, Chief justice of Bengal, youngest son of Elijah Impey, by his second wife, Martha; his father possessed property at Fulham, about Uxbridge, and in the parish of Marylebone, and on his death in 1750 left considerable wealth to his three sons 6
- Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), British geologist, eponym of the Murchison crater on the moon
Citations +
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 26 October 2020