Hemmens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

The earliest origins of the name Hemmens are with the Viking settlers of the early Middle Ages; the surname having come from a place named by the Vikings It is a name for someone who lived in the Orkneys, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Hemmens family

The surname Hemmens was first found in the Orkneys, where "Hemming was one of the witnesses to the charter by King Duncan 11 to the monks of S. Cuthbert in 1094, the earliest Scottish charter." 1

It is presumed that some of the family moved south to England, as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry Hemmeng, Suffolk; John Hemming, Oxfordshire; and John Hemmyng, Kent. 2

The Latin form of the name Hemmingus was listed in the Domesday Book. 3

Hemming (fl. 1096), was an early English chronicler and was sub-prior of Worcester during the episcopate of Bishop Wulstan (d. 1096), at whose request he compiled the chartulary of the church of Worcester, still extant in Hemming's autograph in MS. Cotton. 4

Hemming de Welega was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1166 and later, Walter, William Hemming was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Somerset in 1170. 5

"Hemming or Heming, a name having its present home in the Evesham district, is an Anglo - Saxon Clan name. It was well known in Worcester in the 17th century, Richard Heming being the name of the mayor of the city in 1627 and 1657, and John Heming in 1677 (G.); the name is still in that city. One of the name was buried in Tenbury church in 1691 (N.). It is also now represented in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire, sometimes in the form of Hemmings." 6

Early History of the Hemmens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemmens research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1602, 1623, 1630, 1653, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1700 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Hemmens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmens Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes most often spelled names by the way they sounded. spelling variations, are thus, very common in records dating from that time. Over the years, Hemmens has been spelled Hemming, Heming, Hemming, Hemmings, Hemyng and others.

Early Notables of the Hemmens family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was John Heminges (sometimes spelled Heming or Heminge) (1566-1630), an actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. He was also co-editor of the First Folio, the collected plays of Shakespeare, published in 1623 and financial manager for the King's Men. A memorial statue of him can be found in London. William Heminges (1602-c.1653), also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hemmens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmens 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:

Hemmens Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Hemmens, (b. 1817), aged 39, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 7
Mrs. Elizabeth Hemmens, (b. 1823), aged 33, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Hemmens (post 1700) +

Harry D. Hemmens, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Elgin, Illinois, 1898-1915

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html