Johnes History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of JohnesWhat does the name Johnes mean? The distinguished surname Johnes is derived from the given name "John," which is itself derived from the Hebrew name "Johanan," meaning "Jehovah has favored." "This baptismal name, which is of Norman introduction, has rarely passed into a surname. The London Directory for 1852 affords but one instance." 1 The name was brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066, and was extremely popular throughout Europe in the Middle Ages as a result of the numerous connections between the name John and the Christian Church. Early Origins of the Johnes familyThe surname Johnes was first found in Lincolnshire, borne by Alanus filius Jene in 1275. Other early bearers of the name include Willelmus filius Gene, who was recorded in the Rotuli Hundredorum of Yorkshire in 1276, Walterus filius Jone, who was living in Huntingdonshire in 1279, and Thomas John, who was a resident of Buckinghamshire in 1279. 2 In Somerset, Robert Johns, was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3 Lewis Johns was prebendary of St. David's in 1486. 4 Farther to the south in the parish of Wendron, Cornwall, we found this interesting entry. "The barton of Tremere, or Trenear, on which are now only some small cottages, is said to have been a place of considerable fame in former ages. This is at present the property of the representatives of the late Richard Johns, Esq. of Helston, by purchase from the Vyvyans. Tonkin speaking of this place says, 'At Trenere in Wendron is an arched vault of moorstone near the house, said to have been a cellar of the ancient Dukes of Cornwall, and this one of their hunting seats. This vault, which is very entire, indicates a place of some distinction.' " 5 Early History of the Johnes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Johnes research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1327, 1379, 1417, 1463, 1600, 1656, 1664, 1736, 1754, 1776, 1796, 1843, 1858 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Johnes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Johnes Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled John, Johns, Jon, Jone, Johnes, Johnys, Joan, Joanes, Jones and many more. Early Notables of the Johnes familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Hugh Johnys (fl. 1417-1463), Knight-Marshal of England and France, is said to have been the son of John Watkin Vaughan, who was the bastard child of Watkin Vaughan. In the muster-roll of the English army, dated July 1417, 'Here John,'... Migration of the Johnes family to IrelandSome of the Johnes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Johnes or a variant listed above: Johnes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Johnes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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. 7 Johnes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
SS Caribou
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