The history of the Saesnes family name begins after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in
Shropshire. Their name, however, is a reference to
Say, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066.
Early Origins of the Saesnes family
The surname Saesnes was first found in
Shropshire but the first record of the name was Geoffrey de Saye, Lord of West Greenwich (1135–1214.) His son, Geoffrey de Saye, II (died 1230), Lord of West Greenwich was born in 1155 in West Greenwich,
Kent and died in Gascoigne, Poitou, France. His son was Geoffrey de Saye (1155–1230), was an English nobleman, and Magna Carta surety who held lands at Edmonton (now part of London) and Sawbridgeworth (a small town and civil parish in Hertfordshire.) Stratfield Saye is a village and civil parish in
Hampshire that includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.
Early History of the Saesnes family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saesnes research.
Another 211 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1604, 1685, 1649, 1661, 1681, 1691, 1653, 1691, 1664 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Saesnes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Saesnes Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. When the
Normans became the ruling people of
England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Say, Saye and others.
Early Notables of the Saesnes family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Baron Geoffrey Say; Evan Seys (1604-1685),
Welsh lawyer from Swansea, Glamorgan, Attorney General under Oliver
Cromwell, Recorder of Gloucester in 1649, Member of...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Saesnes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Saesnes family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in
England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Saesnes or a variant listed above were: George Say who settled in Barbados in 1635; Hugh and Jane Say settled in Virginia in 1650; Thomas Say settled in New
England in 1663; John Saye settled in Virginia in 1637..