Anstie 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 Anstie family

The surname Anstie 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 Anstie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anstie 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 Anstie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anstie Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Anstie include Anstey, Anstie, Ansty, Anstay, Anstee and others.

Early Notables of the Anstie 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 Anstie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Anstie family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Anstey who landed in Philadelphia in 1701; and then proceeded westward. In Newfoundland, Canada, Nicholas landed in Newfoundland in 1706; Charles in Twillingate in 1768.

Contemporary Notables of the name Anstie (post 1700) +

Francis Edmund Anstie (1833-1874), English physician, born at Devizes, Wiltshire, 11 Dec. 1833, son of Mr. Paul Anstie, a manufacturer belonging to a family long notable for their attachment to liberal principles 5

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)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019