| ![Show Contents]() Champney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Champney arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Champney 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 "There is every reason to believe that the Norman De Champignys were represented by some of the numerous English families of Champneys. They belonged to a very ancient stock. Geoffrey de Champigne held a knight’s fee in the Bailifry of Pont-Audemer in 1165; and two De Champignys appear on the roll of the Norman nobles assembled in 1789." 2 Early Origins of the Champney familyThe surname Champney was first found in Somersetshire they claim descent from the Sieur de Champney in Normandy. From him the Chamneys of Orchardleuigh in Oxfordshire descend. 3 "In Somerset, the family was seated for a long succession of generations, and inter-married with some of the greatest West country families. Two of the name-Henry and Thomas-are among the Somersetshire gentlemen certified (as qualified) to be Knights of the Bath in the time of Henry VII. This Henry Champneys, who succeeded his father in 1505, and married a Seymour heiress, is the first of the family styled of Orchardleigh, where his descendants were to be found for nearly three centuries and a half. Three of them served as Sheriffs of Somerset, in 1695, 1728, and 1775; and the last of these was created a Baronet in 1767." 2 Other early entries for the family include: William le Champeneys who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1219 and John Champenay in Freeman Rolls of Yorkshire in 1333. 4 "In Shropshire the name, as Le Champeneys, is several times recorded by Eyton in the thirteenth century. Robert Champneys of Dorrington was the successor of Reginald de Dodinton, who held of Robert Fitz Hugh, Forester of Bolas, in the commencement of that century; and William Champneis of Wildesley is mentioned in 1253. " 2 But by the 14th century, many of the family were found in Yorkshire as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Chaumpenay, 1379; Johanna Chaumpenay, 1379; and Henricus Chaumpnay as all holding lands there at that time. 5 Early History of the Champney familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Champney research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1534, 1548, 1569, 1643 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Champney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Champney Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Champney, Chamnes, Chamness, Chamney, Champneys and many more. Early Notables of the Champney familyOutstanding 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 or about 1669. 6
- John Champneys (fl. 1548), was a religious writer, born near Bristol, and is described by Strype as living in later life at 'Stratford-on-the-Bow,' near London. 6
Migration of the Champney family to IrelandSome of the Champney 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.
| Champney migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Champney or a variant listed above were:
Champney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Champney, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 7
- Richard Champney, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 7
- Samuel Champney, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1661 7
Champney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Champney, aged 53, who arrived in Tennessee in 1812 7
- A D Champney, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1849 7
- M T Champney, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
| Champney migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Champney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. Benjiman Champney U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 member of the Cape Ann Association 8
- Mr. Ebenezer Champney U.E. born in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, USA who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 member of the Cape Ann Association, graduated Harvard in 1762 8
- Mr. Francis Champney U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 member of the Cape Ann Association 8
| Champney 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: Champney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Champney, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Fyffe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 7th November 1842 9
| Contemporary Notables of the name Champney (post 1700) | + |
- James Wells Champney (1843-1903), American genre and portrait painter who was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member
- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Williams Champney (1850-1922), born Elizabeth Johnson Williams, an American author
- Benjamin Champney (1817-1907), American painter known for his White Mountain art, founder of the Boston Art Club
- William Weldon Champney (1807-1875), English divine, Dean of Lichfield, eldest son of the Rev. William Betton Champneys, B.C.L. of St. John's College, Oxford 10
- Clive Champney, British former continuity announcer for Border Television
- Henry Champney Loomis (1834-1905), American politician, Mayor of Winfield, Kansas, 1896-98
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Pro patria non timidus perire
Motto Translation: Not afraid to die for my country.
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- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- 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. 25 Nov. 2019
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