Ornsbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Ornsbey is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in one of the places called Hornby in Lancashire, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), or the North Riding of Yorkshire. "This place is distinguished for its castle, which stands on the site of a Roman villa, on the summit of a bold rock of conical form, in many parts shrouded by trees, and washed by the Wenning at its base. The castle was originally founded soon after the Norman Conquest." 1

Early Origins of the Ornsbey family

The surname Ornsbey was first found in Lancashire at Hornby, a township and chapelry, and formerly a market-town, in the parish of Melling, hundred of Lonsdale. There are two Hornby Castles of note: the first in Lancashire which was originally built for the Neville family in the 13th century, and the second in Yorkshire, home to the St. Quintin family.

However, we must look to the latter shire to find the first record of the surname, namely William de Horneby, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1205. John Hornby was listed in Gloucestershire in 1376. 2 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Johannes de Horneby and Agnes de Horneby. 3

Early History of the Ornsbey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ornsbey research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1518, 1618, 1619, 1638, 1662 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Ornsbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ornsbey 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 Ornsbey 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Ornsbey include: Hornby, Hornbie and others.

Early Notables of the Ornsbey family

Notables of the family at this time include Henry Horneby (d. 1518), Master of Peterhouse, was perhaps a native of Lincolnshire. He became a member of Clare Hall, and was afterwards elected to a fellowship at Michaelhouse. 4 William Hornby (fl. 1618), was English poet and was, "according to his own account, educated at Peterborough...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ornsbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ornsbey family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Ornsbey or a variant listed above: Mary Hornby and Joseph Hornby arrived in Philadelphia with four children in 1820; Mercy Hornby settled in Virginia in 1735; Squire T. Hornby settled in Philadelphia in 1860.

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print