The origins of the Halfacre name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived on the piece of land that was termed halfacre. In medieval times the halfacre referred to the measurement of half a hide. This local surname referred to the place where the original bearers actually lived.
The surname Halfacre was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat from very early times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halfacre research. Another 28 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1297 and 1333 are included under the topic Early Halfacre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Halfacre were recorded, including Halfacre, Halfacree, Halfacr, Helfakere and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Halfacre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Halfacre family emigrate to North America: family members who sailed to North America in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and who made considerable impact on the New World society.