The ancestors of the Osmint family brought their name to
England in the wave of migration after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in
Dorset. The name, however, is a reference to
Osmandville, on the River Bire in Bessin,
Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066.
Early Origins of the Osmint family
The surname Osmint was first found in
Dorset at Melbury Osmond, a village and civil parish in the union of Beaminster,
hundred of Yetminster that dates back to 1283 when it was first listed as Melebur Osmund. "Melbury" roughly means "multi-coloured fortified place" from the Old English "maele" + burh."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Hence collectively the place name meant "fortified place of a man called Osmund."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Little is known about the place name other than the parish church, St. Osmund's was thought to have been built before 1550. It was completely rebuilt in 1745.
Early History of the Osmint family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Osmint research.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 155 and 1555 are included under the topic Early Osmint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Osmint Spelling Variations
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Osmint were recorded, including Osmond, Osmund, Osmont, Osmonde, Osmand, Osman, Ozment and many more.
Early Notables of the Osmint family (pre 1700)
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Osmint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Osmint family to the New World and Oceana
The unstable environment in
England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like
Ireland,
Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Osmint arrived in North America very early: Adam Osman, who immigrated to Virginia in 1623; John Osmond, who settled in Maryland in 1749; David Osmond, who came to Nova Scotia in 1793;
Lewis Osmond, who settled in Philadelphia in 1793.