The name Blaikny reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Blaikny family lived at Blakeney, in the county of Norfolk, or a place of the same name in Gloucester.
The surname Blaikny was first found in Norfolk at Blakeney, a small sea-port, post-town, and parish, in the union of Walsingham, hundred of Holt. "This place was called Snitterley in the time of Henry III., who granted it a market: it assumed its present name in the reign of Edward III." [1]
Blakeney consisted of seven villages whose tenant-in-chief was Earl Hugh of Chester. Some of these villages were submerged by the sea by the Middle Ages. Conjecturally, the Blakeneys are descended from the first early Norman noble who held his lands from Earl Hugh. One reference states "Blakeney is a parish in Norfolk, in which county the family had great possessions. " [2]
The first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where Adam de Blakeneye from London was listed. Later and further to the north, Johannes Blaunkeney was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [3]
Nicholas de Blakney was listed in Norfolk in 1392 and later Elizabeth Blakney was listed there in 1515. [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blaikny research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1756, 1976, 1672, 1761, 1690, 1702, 1679, 1733, 1709, 1729 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Blaikny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Blaikny include Blakeney, Blakeny, Blackney, Blakney, Blakny, Blaknie, Blakenie, Blaykney, Blayknie, Blaikney and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Blaikny Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Blaikny family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 178 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Blaiknys to arrive on North American shores: John Blackney who settled in Maryland in 1776; William Blakeney landed in North America in 1772.