The name Chamnass was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Chamnass family lived in Yorkshire. They were originally from Champigne or Champagne, Normandy, and it is from the family's residence there that the name derives. [1]
The surname Chamnass was first found in Somersetshire they claim descent from the Sieur de Champney in Normandy. From him the Chamneys of Orchardleuigh in Oxfordshire descend. [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chamnass research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1534, 1569, 1643, 1669 and 1548 are included under the topic Early Chamnass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Chamnass are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Chamnass include Champney, Chamnes, Chamness, Chamney, Champneys and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Anthony Champney (1569?-1643?), English Catholic divine, descended from a family of good account in Yorkshire, was born in that county in...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chamnass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Chamnass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Chamnass, or a variant listed above: Edward Champneys who settled in New Jersey in 1675 with his wife Priscilla, son and daughter; James Champness settled in Baltimore in 1774; John and Jane Champnes settled in Barbados in 1654..