Anstice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

This surname was found in various counties and was derived from the Old English "anstiga" which meant "narrow or lonely track" There are multiple listings in the Domesday Book 1 including: Leicestershire (Anstige), East and West Anstey, Devon (Anestinga) Ansty, Warwickshire (Anestie), Ansty Cross, Higher Ansty, Dorset (Anesty) 2

Early Origins of the Anstice family

The surname Anstice was first found in Warwickshire at Anstey. "This place is situated on the road from Coventry to Wolvey heath, and thence to Leicester; it was originally called Heanstige, from the Saxon hean, high, and stige, a path-way. " 3

Significantly the same source notes that Anstey in Leicestershire was "formerly called Hanstigie or Anstige," some one can easily see exact spelling of places did not apply in ancient times. Later the more commonly used today spelling of Anstey prevailed as "in 1376, certain lands, described as 'lying in the fields of Anstey in Wolfdale,' were granted by John Lenerych, of Leicester." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 continued to show early spellings: Roger de Anesti, Cambridgeshire, 1273; and Richard de Anesty, London. 4

Early History of the Anstice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anstice research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1623, 1657, 1669, 1685, 1688, 1692, 1702, 1708, 1717, 1718, 1723, 1724, 1725, 1727, 1736, 1742, 1744, 1745, 1749, 1754 and 1805 are included under the topic Early Anstice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anstice Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Anstice has been recorded under many different variations, including Anstey, Anstie, Ansty, Anstay, Anstee and others.

Early Notables of the Anstice family

Notables of the family at this time include John Anstis the Elder (1669-1744), was an English officer of arms and antiquarian who became Garter King of Arms in 1718. Born at St. Neots, Cornwall, 28 (or 29) Sept. 1669, he entered Exeter College, Oxford, in 1685, and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1688. "Of a good family, and possessed of considerable fortune, Anstis was chosen one of the members for St. Germains in 1702. Although a strong Tory, he voted against the bill for the prevention of occasional conformity, which caused his name to appear among the 'tackers' in...
Another 263 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Anstice Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anstice migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Anstice or a variant listed above:

Anstice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Moses Anstice, who arrived in New York, NY in 1832 5

Anstice migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Anstice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Anstice, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Anstice 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:

Anstice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J.A. Anstice, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Donna Anita" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 14th June 1863 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Anstice (post 1700) +

Joseph Anstice (1808-1836), English classical scholar, Professor of classical literature in King's College London 8
Mr. Ian Anstice B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal, for services to the Public Libraries Sector 9
Sophia Anstice (1849-1926), née Catesby, English-born, New Zealand dressmaker, draper and businesswoman
Vice Admiral Sir Edmund Walter Anstice KCB (1899-1979), British Royal Navy officer and aviator who served in World War II, Fifth Sea Lord
Mark Anstice (b. 1967), Scottish explorer, adventurous documentary reality television film maker and writer
Brigadier John Henry Anstice DSO & Bar (1897-1970), Scottish officer in the British Army during the Second World War
Jethro Anstice Cossins (1830-1917), British architect, known for his work in Birmingham during the 19th century
Laurence Anstice Pavitt (1914-1989), British Labour and Co-operative Party politician

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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 Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists