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The name Jammes was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. Jammes is based on the personal name Jacob, the Latin Jacobus via the Late Latin Jacomus. The Latin Jacobus is derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov which is traditionally interpreted as coming from the Hebrew akev, which means heel. 1
"The first appearance of this Christian name in our annals is in the Domesday [Book]." 2
James the Cistercian (fl. 1270), also called James the Englishman, "was the first professor of philosophy and theology in the college which Stephen Lexington, Abbot of Clairvaux, founded in the house of the counts of Champagne at Paris for the instruction of young Cistercians. " 3
The surname Jammes was first found in Surrey. At an early time the name migrated from Normandy under the name FitzJames, as one of the noble house of Normandy. In nearby Utrecht the name became Van Haestrecht, whence it became FitzJames again, having migrated from Utrecht into England, into the manor of Ightham, at the time of King John, about the year 1210 A.D. They acquired the manors and estates of Hamon de Cravignuier, from De Inge, Zouch of Harringworth, Read, and Willoughby, and thence to the noble house of James.
"In early documents the name is usually Jacobus, but James is occasionally found in the 12th and 13th centuries, sometimes alternating with Jack or its diminutives Jackamin, Jackett and Jacklin." 4
"The principal home of this name is in South Wales and Monmouthshire. Lower tells us of a very ancient Pembroke family possessing an estate successively held by thirteen persons bearing the name of William James. 2 The name is also frequent in Shropshire and Herefordshire on the Welsh border, and in the neighbouring counties of Gloucester and Stafford. It is also numerous in the south - west of England, especially in Somerset, Dorset, and Cornwall. In the eastern counties it nearly disappears, but it reappears in the north, though in no great numbers. " 5
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jammes research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1573, 1592, 1593, 1610, 1617, 1619, 1620, 1624, 1626, 1629, 1635, 1638, 1644, 1653, 1654, 1656, 1659, 1661, 1670, 1673, 1679, 1681, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1700, 1702, 1705 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Jammes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Jammes were recorded, including James, Fitzjames, St. James, Jaimes, Geames and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard James (1592-1638), English scholar, born at Newport in the Isle of Wight in 1592, the third son of Andrew James of that town, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Philip Poore of Durrington, Wiltshire. 3
Thomas James (1573?-1629), was Bodley's librarian, uncle of Richard James [q. v.], was born about 1573 at Newport, Isle of Wight. 3
Thomas James (1593?-1635?), was a navigator, a kinsman, it is believed, of Thomas James (d. 1619), alderman and twice mayor of Bristol, was born about 1593. 3
William James (1542-1617), was Bishop of Durham, the second son of...
Another 257 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jammes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In France, the name Jammes is the 3,271st most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 6
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Jammes arrived in North America very early: Edmund James, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; Blanch James, a servant sent to Barbados in 1658; David James, who came to Nevis in 1661; Abel James, who arrived in Maryland in 1670.