Knyvett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Knyvett is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Knyvett family lived in Kniveton, which is a parish in Derbyshire near Ashbourn. The name is pronounced Nifton.

Early Origins of the Knyvett family

The surname Knyvett was first found in Derbyshire at Kniveton, a parish, in the hundred of Wirksworth where "the manor of 'Cheniveton,' so called in the Domesday Survey, was from a very early period the property of the Kniveton family. " 1

"The extinct Baronet family descended from Sir Matthew de Knivetone, who flourished in that county temp. Edward I. " 2

The place name literally means "farmstead of a woman called Cengifu," derived from the Old English personal name + "tun." 3 "The manor of 'Merchenestune' [Mercaston] was for many generations the property and seat of a younger branch of the Knivetons, of Bradley, who were seated here as early as the reign of Edward III. William Kniveton was one of the baronets created by James I. on the institution of the order in 1611. " 1

"The incumbent resides in the Hall [of Ashwelthorpe in Norfolk], an ancient residence of the Knyvett family, moated on three sides." 1

Early History of the Knyvett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knyvett research. Another 390 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1290, 1440, 1471, 1480, 1485, 1486, 1500, 1510, 1512, 1515, 1535, 1536, 1539, 1543, 1544, 1549, 1558, 1569, 1579, 1591, 1600, 1605, 1616, 1622, 1649, 1652, 1655, 1671, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1693 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Knyvett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knyvett Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Knyvett family name include Knifton, Kniveton, Knyveton, Nifton, Knyvet, Knyveton and many more.

Early Notables of the Knyvett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Knyvett (c. 1440-1515), English politician, High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1480 and 1471
Sir Anthony Knyvett (c. 1486-1549), English politician who held the office of Black Rod in the English Parliament from 1536 to 1543
Sir Thomas Knyvett (also Knevitt or Knivet or Knevet), of Buckenham, Norfolk (c. 1485-1512), an English nobleman who was a close associate of King Henry VIII shortly after that monarch came to the thr...
Thomas Knyvett (or Knyvet), de jure 4th Baron Berners (1539-1616), English politician, High Sheriff of Norfolk and Chance from 1579 until his death
Thomas Knyvett (died 1569), Member of Parliament for Brackley, Bramber and Plymouth
Sir Philip Knyvett, 1st Baronet of Buckenham, Norfolk, (died 1655)
Sir Robert Knyvett, 2nd Baronet of Buckenham, Norfolk, (died 1699)

Knyvett migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Knyvett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. H. Knyvett, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 4
Mr. C. F. Knyvett, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 4
Mrs. Knyvett, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gananoque" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 9th May 1860 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Knyvett (post 1700) +

Carey Frederick Knyvett (1885-1967), English cleric, 2nd Bishop of Selby (1941-1962)
William Alexander Knyvett (1882-1929), British track and field athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Charles Knyvett (1752-1822), British musician, father of William Knyvett
William Knyvett (1779-1856), British singer and composer
Francis Knyvett Leighton (1806-1881), English academic and priest, Warden of All Souls College, Oxford (1858-1881), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1866-1870)

The Knyvett 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: In domino confido
Motto Translation: I trust in the Lord.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html