| ![Show Contents]() Swinstead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of SwinsteadWhat does the name Swinstead mean? The distinguished family Swinstead claim Lincolnshire as their ancient homestead where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the village and lands of Swinstead, held by Walter d'Aincourt, a Norman Baron, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 1 At that time, the parish in the union of Bourne, wapentake of Beltisloe, parts of Kesteven 2 was known recorded as Suinhamstede and literally meant "homestead where pigs are kept," from the Old English word "swim" + "ham-stede." 3 As one author notes, the name "does not refer to the 'pig-headedness' of the race, but to their ancient residence in Lincolnshire, famous in old times for its Abbey, and the disaster of King John." 4 Early Origins of the Swinstead familyThe surname Swinstead was first found in Lincolnshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1276 list Gocelin de Swynested as holding lands there at that time. However, earlier records show Walter de Swinesheved in the Curia Regis Rolls for Huntingdonshire in 1207. The Assize Rolls for Staffordshire list Robert de Swyneshved as holding lands there in 1269 and John Swynesheved was later recorded in 1288. 5 Of note about this time was Richard Swineshead (fl. 1350), an English "mathematician, apparently a native of Glastonbury, was educated at Merton College, Oxford. He was a fellow of Merton College, and took a leading part in the riots about the election of a chancellor in 1348. Leland gives his Christian name as Roger, but this seems to be a mistake. " 6 Some of the family moved to Scotland as today, Swinston Lodge, Culzean Castle is found in South Ayrshire. Early History of the Swinstead familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swinstead research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1207, 1276 and 1583 are included under the topic Early Swinstead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Swinstead Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Sinstead, Swineshead, Swinsted, Swinshead, Swinston and many more. Early Notables of the Swinstead family- the Swinstead family of Bedfordshire
Migration of the Swinstead familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Swinstead (post 1700) | + |
- Joan Swinstead (1903-1982), English actress and director from Thame, Oxfordshire, known for The Final Test (1953), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) and Adam and Evalyn (1949)
- Charles Swinstead, English artist and teacher who lived at Crouch End, Hornsey, founder of the Hornsey School of Arts in 1880
- Frank Hillyard Swinstead (1862-1937), English first-class cricketer and artist
- Felix Gerald Swinstead (1880-1959), English pianist and composer who wrote around 200 piano pieces, mostly for educational use by young children
- Harry D. Swinstead, British writer, known for Peace at Any Price (1916)
- George Hillyard Swinstead (1860-1926), British artist associated with the Suffolk school
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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