Gissing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins and Etymology of Gissing

The surname Gissing was first found in Norfolk at Gissing, a village and civil parish in the union of Depwade, hundred of Diss. The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Gessinga 1 and literally meant "settlement of the family or followers of a man called Gyssa or Gyssi," from the Old English personal name + "-ingas." 2 Gissing Hall is a 15th century mansion in the village of Gissing and today is operated as a hotel and restaurant. The Church of St Mary dates back to c. 1204 and is one of the 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk. Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the village and lands of Gissing, held by Godric from the King, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Gissing family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gissing research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1195 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Gissing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gissing Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gissing, Giseing, Gissin, Gissinge, Gissink, Gyssing, Gysing and many more.

Early Notables of the Gissing family

the Gissing family of Norfolk

Gissing 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:

Gissing Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Sarah Gissing, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th March 1852 3

Historic Events for the Gissing family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Charles Gissing, British Ordnance Artificer 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 4

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html