Fellingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fellingham family

The surname Fellingham was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Felmingham, held by Roger Bigod who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The village held a Mill and a Church.

Early History of the Fellingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fellingham research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1194 and 1212 are included under the topic Early Fellingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fellingham Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Fellingham, Felmingham, Felingham and others.

Early Notables of the Fellingham family

More information is included under the topic Early Fellingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fellingham migration to Canada +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Fellingham or a variant listed above:

Fellingham Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Joseph Fellingham, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Fellingham 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:

Fellingham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Fellingham, aged 23, a printer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Rebecca Fellingham, aged 25, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Emily Fellingham, aged 9 months, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Slains Castle" in 1841
Mr. George Fellingham, (b. 1816), aged 23, English settler born in London travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 2
Mrs. Rebecca Fellingham, (b. 1815), aged 25, English settler born in London travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fellingham (post 1700) +

Lou Fellingham, United Kingdom singer, long time lead singer of Phatfish

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html