Hipsley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Hipsley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Hipsley family lived in Warwickshire, at Ipsley, a parish, in the union of Alcester, Alcester division of the hundred of Barlichway. 1

The place-name Ipsley is composed of two Old English elements. The first is the word yppe, which meant "upland, high place." The second is leah, which meant "forest clearing." The place-name as a whole means "forest clearing on an upland; clearing in a high place." 2

Early Origins of the Hipsley family

The surname Hipsley was first found in Warwickshire where (Holes) de Ippesleye was recorded 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign). 3

Early History of the Hipsley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hipsley research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1748 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Hipsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hipsley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hipsley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hipsley include: Hippisley, Hippesley, Hippsley, Hipsey, Hipsley and others.

Early Notables of the Hipsley family

Distinguished members of the family include John Hippisley (d. 1748), English actor and dramatist, "born near Wookey Hole in Somersetshire. He seems to have belonged to a well-known Somerset family. He is said in the ‘Biographia Dramatica’ to have first come on the stage as a candle-snuffer, and on the death of Pinkethman to have...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hipsley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hipsley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Hipsley or a variant listed above:

Hipsley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Hipsley, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 4

Hipsley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hipsley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Robert Hipsley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Hipsley migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5

Hipsley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William Hipsley, who settled in Barbados in 1654 transferring in 1670 to Virginia

The Hipsley 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: Non mihi
Motto Translation: Not for myself.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies