Kimson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Kimson is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a person whose father was a knight or soldier. The surname Kimson was originally derived from the Old English word kemp, which came from the Old English word cempa, which means warrior and occasionally means athlete or wrestler. 1 The name also features the popular patronymic suffix -son, which was most common in the north of England and superseded other patronymic suffixes in prominence during the 14th century.

Early Origins of the Kimson family

The surname Kimson was first found in Kempston, parishes in Bedfordshire and Norfolk. "This parish [in Bedfordshire], in the Domesday Survey Camestone, comprises about 5000 acres; the soil in the valley of the Ouse is gravelly, and in other parts clay." 2

The first record of the family was Peter de Kemeston who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1190. Years later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Berkshire listed Simon de Kempston and later again, Symond Kempston was listed in 1426 in the Paston Letters and Papers of the Fifteenth Century. 3 Richard Kemson was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Kimson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kimson research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1661, 1662, 1683, 1684, 1726, 1728 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kimson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kimson 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 Kimson 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 Kimson include Kempson, Kempston, Kimpson, Kempton, Kempstone and many more.

Early Notables of the Kimson family

More information is included under the topic Early Kimson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kimson family to Ireland

Some of the Kimson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kimson 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. 4

Kimson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

James Kimson, aged 21, who arrived in Jamaica in 1683 5

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
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)