Show ContentsDransfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dransfield family

The surname Dransfield was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Dransfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dransfield research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1415, 1420, 1455, 1487, 1499, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Dransfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dransfield Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dransfield, Dronsfield, Drainsfield, Drensfield, Draynsfield, Drayfield, Draysfield, Dransford, Dransforde, Dranfield and many more.

Early Notables of the Dransfield family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Dransfield family of Stubbs Walden


Australia Dransfield migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dransfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Dransfield, English convict who was convicted in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 1

New Zealand Dransfield 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:

Dransfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • H. Dransfield, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Dransfield (post 1700) +

  • Barry Dransfield, English folk singer, fiddler, cellist and guitarist
  • John Dransfield, English honorary research fellow and former head of palm research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom
  • Joseph Dransfield (1827-1906), New Zealand politician, first Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand
  • Michael Dransfield (1948-1973), Australian poet

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. George Dransfield (1883-1914), English Third Class Passenger from Liverpool, England, United Kingdom who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 3


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  3. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html


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