Findon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Findon family

The surname Findon was first found in Derbyshire 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 village and lands of Findern, held by an unknown Norman noble, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The village held 2 Mills and is now noted for Burton Abbey.

Early History of the Findon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Findon research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1093, 1077, 1173, 1570, 1153 and 1486 are included under the topic Early Findon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Findon Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Findern, Fyndern, Fynderne, Fintern, Finturn, Findon and many more.

Early Notables of the Findon family (pre 1700)

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

Findon migration to Australia +

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

Findon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Findon, English convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "China" on 66th January 1846, arriving in Norfolk Island, Australia ^[2]
Miss Mary Findon, English convict who was convicted in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 22nd January 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) ^[3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Findon (post 1700) +

Joanne Findon (b. 1957), Canadian children's author and illustrator from British Columbia

Citations +

^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
^ Convict Records of Australia (Retrieved 5th February 2021, retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/china)
^ Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia