Camas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Camas family

The surname Camas was first found in Huntingdonshire. "The links between the Conqueror's companion in arms and the first recorded ancestor of the baronial house of Camoys have not been ascertained. We cannot ascend in the genealogy to a more remote period than that of the third Henry, when we find Ralph de Camois restored to certain lands in Huntingdonshire, which had been seized upon by the crown in the preceding reign, owing to his participation in the rebellion of the barons. From him derived Sir Thomas de Camoys, of Broadwater, in Surrey, Knight Banneret, an eminent warrior of the times of Richard II., Henry IV., and Henry V., who commanded the left wing of the English army at Azincourt, and for his services on that occasion was honoured with the Garter. He had received summonses to Parliament as Baron Camoys, from the 7th Richard II. to the 8th Henry V. " 1

Early History of the Camas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Camas research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1543, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1641, 1648, 1658, 1673, 1678, 1688, 1689, 1702, 1713, 1715, 1716, 1734 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Camas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Camas Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Camas have been found, including Kenys, Kemeys, Kemish, Kemis, Keymich, Camois and many more.

Early Notables of the Camas family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Charles Kemeys (c.1614-1658), second child of the Kemeys Baronets, a Welsh family of landowners in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales; William Kemeys was High Sheriff of the County of Monmouth in 1678, and listed in Blome's List of Monmouthshire Gentry in...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Camas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Camas migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Camas were among those contributors:

Camas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Antoine Camas, aged 41, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 2

Camas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hernando De Camas, who landed in America in 1813 2
George Frederick Camas, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 2
Johanna Maria Camas, aged 7, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, 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)