Fornbay Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Buy JPG Image »

Fornbay Early Origins

PDF Coat of Arms
+ Extended History

PDF Coat of Arms + Extended Surname History

Buy PDF History »

The surname Fornbay was first found in Lancashire at Formby, a chapelry, in the parish of Waltonon-the-Hill, union of Ormskirk, hundred of West Derby. "This place was held in early times, as at present, by different proprietors; a large portion of the property descended to the Blundells, of Ince-Blundell, holders of the manor jointly with the Formby family, the latter descendants of Thomas de Forneby, who was living in the 46th of Edward III. Formby Hall is the seat of the Formby family." Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Formby, Roger of Poitou, a Norman Baron, who held the marshes of Formby and who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. This Roger, who was at the battle of Hastings, assumed a variety of different surnames including Pictavensis, which deduced to Poitevin. He may have granted Formby to a junior relative as was the custom, because his main holdings were in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Succeeding was Adam of Formby in 1332.

Fornbay Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Fornbay family name include Formby, Formbey, Formbie, Fornby and others.

Fornbay Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fornbay research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fornbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fornbay Early Notables (pre 1700)

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

The Great Migration

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Fornbay family to immigrate North America: Mary Formby, who arrived in Virginia in 1680; and Thomas Formby, who arrived in New York in 1831.

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: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.

Fornbay Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Other References

Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1790. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Papworth, J.W and A.W Morant. Ordinary of British Armorials. London: T.Richards, 1874. Print.
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. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Lennard, Reginald. Rural England 1086-1135 A Study of Social and Agrarian Conditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959. Print.
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
...

The Fornbay Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Fornbay 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 18 April 2016 at 15:15.