Show ContentsJenison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Jenison family

The surname Jenison was first found in Northumberland at Woolsington, a township, in the parish of Dinnington, union and W. division of Castle ward. "The lands anciently belonged to Tynemouth priory, and in the reign of Elizabeth were possessed by the Jennison family. Woolsington Park is a handsome [family] seat." 1

Early History of the Jenison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jenison research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1153, 1510, 1525, 1584, 1587, 1590, 1597, 1600, 1607, 1613, 1649, 1652, 1654, 1656, 1677, 1679, 1680, 1683, 1684, 1688, 1700, 1701, 1705, 1734 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Jenison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenison 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 Jenison include Jenison, Jennison, Jenyson, Jennyson and others.

Early Notables of the Jenison family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Robert Jenison or Jennison (1584?-1652), English Puritan, son of Ralph Jenison, who died mayor of Newcastle, 16 May 1597, and cousin of Robert Jenison [q. v.], Jesuit, was born at Newcastle about 1584...
  • Robert Jenison (1590-1656), was an English Jesuit, born in 1590, was the eldest son of William Jenison, Esq., of Walworth Castle in the county of Durham, by Jane, daughter of Barnabas Scurlock, Esq...
  • Robert Jenison, the Younger (1649-1688), was witness to the Popish plot, born in 1649, grand-nephew of the preceding, was second son of John Jenison of High Walworth, Durham, and Elizabeth, daughter o...
  • Thomas Jenison (1525?-1587), was Auditor-General of Ireland and the eldest son of Robert Jenison of Yokeflete, Yorkshire, and Agnes, daughter of William Wren of the Isle of Ely. 2
  • Sir Matthew Jenison (1654-1734), was an English politician, High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1683-1684, Member of Parliament for Newark from 1701 to 1705. He became involved in several lawsuits and...


United States Jenison 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 Jenison or a variant listed above:

Jenison Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Jenison, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 3
  • William Jenison, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 3
  • Anthony Jenison, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 3
  • Cuthbert Jenison, who landed in Maryland in 1671 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Jenison (post 1700) +

  • William F. Jenison, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Clinton County 1st District, 1863-64 4
  • Henry H. Jenison (b. 1842), American politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 14th District, 1883-84 4
  • Edward Halsey Jenison (1907-1996), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1947-53; defeated, 1952, 1954 4
  • A. J. Jenison, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1908 4
  • Lieutenant Colonel Emory Jenison Pike (1876-1918), United States Army officer during World War I, recipient of the Medal of Honor


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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