Hemsly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hemsly family

The surname Hemsly was first found in Devon at Hensley, but we must look far to the north in Yorkshire to find the first listing of the family. For it is there that John de Henselay was listed in the Subsidy Rolls in 1297. 1

Early History of the Hemsly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemsly research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1080, 1163, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1540, 1600, 1616 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Hemsly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemsly Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Hemsly has been spelled many different ways, including Hensley, Hensleigh, Henslie, Henslea, Ensley, Ensleigh, Ensly and many more.

Early Notables of the Hemsly family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hemsly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemsly migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Hemslys to arrive in North America:

Hemsly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Hemsly, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 2

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)