Samways History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Samways is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name for the son of Samuel. This ancient Hebrew font name meaning name of God was not common in the Middle Ages, but was not necessarily of Jewish origin. There were many records of the surname Samways of English descent.

Early Origins of the Samways family

The surname Samways was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. The family name first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Samways family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Samways research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1559, 1569, 1628, 1654, 1674, 1676, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1705 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Samways History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samways Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Samways has undergone many spelling variations, including Samwell, Samuel, Samuell, Samway, Samuels and others.

Early Notables of the Samways family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Samuel (fl. 1551-1569), English divine and poet, perhaps connected with the Samwells of Northampton; Sir William Samwell (1559-1628), Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I of England; William Samwell (1628-1676) was an English architect; and Sir Thomas Samwell, 1st Baronet (c.1654-1694), Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire from 1689 to 1690 and Northampton from 1690 to 1694. Edward Samuel (1674-1748), Welsh...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Samways Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Samways family to Ireland

Some of the Samways family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Samways migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Samways were among those contributors:

Samways Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Samways, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)