Harmsworth Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Harmsworth was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Harmsworth family lived in the town of Hemsworth in Yorkshire. The place-name was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hilmeuurod and Hamelsuurde. It was originally derived from the Old English personal name Hymel and the Old English word word, which means enclosure. The personal name Hymel is a short form of names such as Hunbeald, which means bear-cub bold, and Hunbeorht, which means bear-cub bright. Thus, the name Harmsworth changed dramatically over time. Surnames rarely appeared in their modern form in ancient chronicles. In the 11th and 12th centuries, it was common practice to Latinize names in official records. The modern spelling of a surname is usually related to the phonetic spelling of that name that was developed during the 17th or 18th century.

Harmsworth Early Origins

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The surname Harmsworth was first found in Yorkshire at Hemsworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire. At the taking of the Domesday Book survey, initiated by Duke William in the year 1086 after his conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in the year 1066, Hemsworth was held by Gamel, a Norman noble, who held it from the tenant-in-chief Ilbert de Lacy. Conjecturally, the Hemsworth line is descended from this source. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Harmondsworth, a parish in Middlesex.

Harmsworth 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 Hamsworth, Harmsworth, Hemsworth and others.

Harmsworth Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harmsworth research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harmsworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harmsworth Early Notables (pre 1700)

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

Harmsworth In Ireland

Some of the Harmsworth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harmsworth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Gray Harmsworth, aged 25, a plumber, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Telegraph"

Contemporary Notables of the name Harmsworth (post 1700)

Patricia Evelyn Beverley Matthews Harmsworth (1933-1992), Viscountess Rothermere, born Patricia Evelyn Beverley Matthews, an English socialite and actress
Paul Harmsworth (b. 1963), English sprinter at the 1988 Olympic Games
Harold Jonathan Esmond Vere Harmsworth (b. 1967), 4th Viscount Rothermere, British viscount and newspaper magnate
Esmond Cecil Harmsworth (1898-1978), 2nd Viscount Rothermere, a British Conservative politician
Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth (1870-1937), 1st Baronet, British businessman and Liberal politician
Harold Sidney Harmsworth Bt. (1868-1940), 1st Viscount Rothermere, British newspaper proprietor, owner of Associated Newspapers Ltd
Cecil Bisshopp Harmsworth (1869-1948), 1st Baron Harmsworth, British businessman and Liberal politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department in 1915, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1919 and 1922
Alfred Charles William Harmsworth (1865-1922), 1st Viscount Northcliffe, Irish-born, British newspaper and publishing magnate, founder of the Amalgamated Press was a newspaper and magazine publishing company in 1901
Hon. Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth, Chairman, Associated Newspapers Group Ltd

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: Manus haec inimica tyrannis
Motto Translation: This hand is hostile to tyrants.

Harmsworth Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

Other References

Virkus, Frederick A. Ed. Immigrant Ancestors A List of 2,500 Immigrants to America Before 1750. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1964. Print.
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Lennard, Reginald. Rural England 1086-1135 A Study of Social and Agrarian Conditions. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959. Print.
Holt, J.C. Ed. Domesday Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1987. Print. (ISBN 0-85115-477-8).
Hanks, Hodges, Mills and Room. The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7).
Elster, Robert J. International Who's Who. London: Europa/Routledge. Print.
Leeson, Francis L. Dictionary of British Peerages. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1986. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-1121-5).
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The Harmsworth Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Harmsworth 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 12 January 2016 at 09:26.