Show ContentsSansum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Sansum was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman personal name Samson.

Early Origins of the Sansum family

The surname Sansum was first found in Gloucestershire, but the family was quickly scattered throughout Britain as they claim descendancy from "De St. Sampson, from the lordship near Caen, Normandy. Ralph de St. Sansom accompanied the Conqueror, and [by] 1086 held estates in several counties. William Sampson, his descendant, was summoned to Parliament as a Baron 1297-1304. " [1]

Another reference notes "Samson, the name of a Welsh bishop (fl. 550) who crossed over to Brittany and founded the abbey of Dol where he was buried and venerated as a saint. Whether his name is the Biblical Samson or one of Celtic origin is uncertain. The name was popular in Yorkshire and eastern counties." [2]

Samsom (died 1112), was and English divine, Bishop of Worcester, born at Douvres near Caen, was the son of Osbert and Muriel, who were of noble lineage.

Samsom (1135-1211), was Abbot of St. Edmund's, born at Tottington, near Thetford in Norfolk. "When nine years old he was taken by his mother on a pilgrimage to St. Edmund's. 'As a poor clerk,' he received gratuitous instruction from a schoolmaster named William of Diss. " [3]

Early History of the Sansum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sansum research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1112, 1517, 1554, 1589, 1590, 1600, 1612, 1627, 1629, 1636, 1667, 1668, 1680 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Sansum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sansum Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Sampson, Samson and others.

Early Notables of the Sansum family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), a French cartographer of Scottish descent; William Sampson (1590?-1636?), an English dramatist from Retford, Nottinghamshire; and his son, Henry Sampson (1629?-1700), an English nonconformist minister and physician. Born at South Leverton, Nottinghamshire, and after the Restoration, he preached for some time privately at Framlingham, and founded an independent congregation, which still exists. Turning to medicine, he studied at Padua and at Leyden, where he graduated M.D. on 12 July 1668. He practised in London, and was admitted an honorary fellow of the College of Physicians on 30 Sept. 1680. [3]Richard...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sansum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Sansum family to Ireland

Some of the Sansum family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Sansum migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Sansum name or one of its variants:

Sansum Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Sansum, who landed in America in 1654-1679 [4]

Australia Sansum migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sansum Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Calvin Sansum, English convict from Gloucester, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia [5]
  • Mr. William Sansum, English convict who was convicted in Colchester, Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Eliza Sansum, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 [7]
  • William Sansum, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 [7]


The Sansum 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: Pejus letho flagitium
Motto Translation: Disgrace is worse than Death.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. 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)
  5. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Hooghly.htm


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