| ![Show Contents]() Kneeshaw Surname History
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of KneeshawWhat does the name Kneeshaw mean? The ancestors of the bearers of the Kneeshaw family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the parish of Kneesall in the county of Nottinghamshire. Kneesall was originally derived from the Old English word cyne which means noble. 1 This place-name was also referred to as Cyneheah's Corner. Early Origins of the Kneeshaw familyThe surname Kneeshaw was first found in Nottinghamshire at Kneesall, a village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first recorded as Chenshael. 2 Later the parish was known as Cneshala in 1175. 1 Some of the early rolls entries for the family include: Robert de Knesale in the Patent Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327; William Kneshawe in the Patent Rolls for Carlisle and Cumberland in 1368; Willelmo de Knesale in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379; and Ricardus Knesall in the same rolls. 3 Early History of the Kneeshaw familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kneeshaw research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1341 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Kneeshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kneeshaw Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Kneeshaw include Kneeshaw, Kneshale, Knewshale, Knesall and others. Early Notables of the Kneeshaw familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kneeshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Kneeshaw 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 Kneeshaw or a variant listed above:
Kneeshaw Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Kneeshaw, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1783
Kneeshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William S. Kneeshaw, who arrived in Illinois in 1869
| Kneeshaw migration to Canada | + |
Kneeshaw Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Wm. Kneeshaw, who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1774
- Jane Kneeshaw, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
- William Kneeshaw, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
Kneeshaw Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Robert Kneeshaw, who arrived in Canada in 1832
- Thomas Kneeshaw, who settled in Ontario in 1871
- Anne Kneeshaw, who settled in Ontario in 1871
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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