Contents [hide]

Heaslip History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Heaslip History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient history of the Heaslip name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in a valley noted for having many hazel trees. This name belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. The surname Heaslip is derived from the Old English word hæsel and the Old Norse word hesli, which both mean hazel, and from the Old English word hop, which refers to a valley or a hollow between two hills. 1

Early Origins of the Heaslip family

The surname Heaslip was first found in Oxfordshire at Islip, a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Bicester, hundred of Ploughley. "This place, now an inconsiderable village, is remarkable as the birthplace of Edward the Confessor, whose father, Ethelred II, had a palace here." 2

Walter de Islip, who died after 1335, was an English-born cleric, statesman and judge. Born at Islip, he rose to become first Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer

His cousin, Simon Islip, who died in 1366, was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366.

In years later, Yorkshire would prove to be a homestead of the family as John Heslop was listed here in 1414. 3

We must look north to Scotland to find the lion's share of the family history. Here, the name literally meant "hazel-hope." Alexander Heselihope held land in Edinburgh in 1425, and William Heslihope, or Heslyhop, appears as rector and vicar of the church of Cortoquhy (or Cortochquhy) in 1429 and 1439. Stephen de Heslyhope, presbyter and notary public of Glasgow in 1446, appears again in 1455 as Stephen Heslop. Archibald Heslihop, "vtherwais callit Schir Suythe," had remission for reset of outlawed Rutherfurds in 1501. Thomas Heslop, "pensionario preposito ecclesie parochialis de Houston," is in record in 1525 (REG., 497). John Hesilhop was a witness in Glasgow in 1555 (Protocols, I), Hobe Heslop was a tenant of the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 520), Williame Hessilhoip, reidare at Stow, 1574 (RMR.), and Alexander Hasillip appears in Carsfern parish in 1684." 4

At about this time, "Heslop was the name of several proprietors in the Hexham division in the 17th century; the name is still numerous in the Hexham district." 5

Early History of the Heaslip family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heaslip research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1366, 1455, 1464, 1480, 1498, 1500, 1503 and 1532 are included under the topic Early Heaslip History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaslip Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Heaslip include Heaslip, Hislop, Haslop, Haslip, Heslep, Hyslop and many more.

Early Notables of the Heaslip family

Notables of the family at this time include Simon Islip (d. 1366), Archbishop of Canterbury, who derived his name from the village of Islip on the Cherwell, about six miles north of Oxford, where he was probably born. 6John Islip (1464-1532) was Abbot of the Monastery of Westminster. He claimed descent from Archbishop Simon Islip and it is commemorated today in John Islip Street, Westminster, London. "John entered the monastery of Westminster about 1480, and showed his administrative capacity in minor offices, till in 1498 he was elected prior, and on 27 Oct. 1500 abbot of Westminster. The first business which...
Another 184 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heaslip Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heaslip family to Ireland

Some of the Heaslip 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.

Heaslip migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Heaslip or a variant listed above:

Heaslip Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Heaslip, who settled in Virginia in 1638

Heaslip Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Heaslip, who settled in Delaware and was a successful farmer in 1798

Heaslip Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander H Heaslip, aged 30, who arrived in Missouri in 1849 7

Heaslip migration to Australia +

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

Heaslip Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Benjamin Heaslip, aged 46, a farmer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Osceola" 8
Samuel Heaslip, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Catherine" 9
Samuel Heaslip, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Catherine" in 1851 9
Margaret Heaslip, aged 23, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Catherine" in 1851 9
Thomas Heaslip, aged 3, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Catherine" in 1851 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Heaslip 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:

Heaslip Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Benjamin Heaslip, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884
Olivia Heaslip, aged 18, a domestic servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Heaslip (post 1700) +

Mark Patrick Heaslip (b. 1951), retired American NHL professional ice hockey forward
John Ganly "Jacko" Heaslip (1899-1966), Irish cricketer
James Peter Richard "Jamie" Heaslip (b. 1983), Irish rugby union player, captain of the Ireland team

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OSCEOLA / ASCEOLA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Osceola-Asceola.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CATHERINE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Catherine.htm