Cornwallis Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Cornwallis family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Cornwallis family originally lived in the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

Cornwallis Early Origins

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The surname Cornwallis was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Cornwallis Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cornwall, Cornelle, Cornell, Cornwell, Cornewall, Cornal, Cornale, Cornevale, Carnwell, Carnewell, Carnville, Carnevale, Cornhall, Cornehall, Cornhale, Cornwale, Curnow (from native Cornish word) and many more.

Cornwallis Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cornwallis research. Another 389 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1513, 1601, 1452, 1467, 1581, 1659, 1613, 1644, 1842, 1605, 1675, 1610, 1662, 1632, 1673, 1660, 1662, 1655, 1698, 1692, 1693, 1689, 1698, 1654, 1717, 1685, 1689, 1468, 1537, 1502, 1503, 1514, 1515, 1505, 1506, 1515, 1516, 1519, 1520 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Cornwallis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornwallis Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Cornwall, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1452 and 1467; Jane Cornwallis (1581-1659), an English lady whose private correspondence (1613-1644) were published in 1842, mother of Frederick Cornwallis; Thomas Cornwallis (c. 1605-1675), an English politician and colonial administrator, one of the first Commissioners...

Another 113 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cornwallis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cornwallis In Ireland

Some of the Cornwallis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cornwallis or a variant listed above:

Cornwallis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Cornwallis, who landed in Maryland in 1633 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
William Cornwallis, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)

Cornwallis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Francis Cornwallis, aged 23, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1905
Brownell Cornwallis, who arrived in America, in 1911
Yvonne Cornwallis, aged 24, who arrived in America from Linton, England, in 1920

Contemporary Notables of the name Cornwallis (post 1700)

Frederick Cornwallis (1713-1783), English clergyman, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the twin brother of Edward Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805), 1st Marquess Cornwallis, British Army officer and colonial administrator, Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William (1786-1793)
James Cornwallis (1743-1824), 4th Earl Cornwallis was a British clergyman, and peer, Dean of Canterbury (1775-1781), Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (1781-1824), Dean of Windsor (1791-1794), Dean of Durham (1794-1824)
Charles Cornwallis (1774-1823), 2nd Marquess Cornwallis British peer, Master of the Buckhounds between 1807 and 1823
Charles Cornwallis (1700-1762), 5th Baron Cornwallis, British peer, Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets and Constable of the Tower of London
Lieutenant General Edward Cornwallis (1713-1776), British military officer, first Governor of Nova Scotia at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Governor of Gibraltar
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB (1744-1819), British Royal Navy officer, best known as a friend of Lord Nelson and as the commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars

Motto

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: La Vie Durante
Motto Translation: During life.

Cornwallis Family Crest Products

Citations

^ 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)

Other References

Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Cook, Chris. English Historical Facts 1603-1688. London: MacMillan, 1980. Print.
Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print.
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
Virkus, Frederick A. Ed. Immigrant Ancestors A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America Before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1964. Print.
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
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The Cornwallis Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Cornwallis Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 23 April 2017 at 12:34.