Twiss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Twiss family

The surname Twiss was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times at Twizel near Coldstream as Lords of the manor, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. One of the first on record was Agnes de Twizel of the county of Berwick who rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England who restored her lands in Berwickshire.

Early History of the Twiss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Twiss research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1646, 1700, 1787, 1802 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Twiss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Twiss Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Twyss, Twysse, Twiss, Twisse, Twist, Twiste, Twyst and many more.

Early Notables of the Twiss family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

William Twisse (1578-1646), a prominent English clergyman and theologian who became Prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly. "The family name is variously spelled Twysse, Twiss, Twyste, and Twist. His...
Horace Twiss (c. 1787-1849), was an English writer and politician

Migration of the Twiss family to Ireland

Some of the Twiss 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.

Twiss migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Twiss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Twiss who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1845
Joseph Twiss, who settled in Philadelphia in 1853

Twiss Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Victor Twiss, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
Cal. G. W. Twiss, aged 58, who settled in America from Southampton, England, in 1908
George Edw. Twiss, aged 53, who landed in America from St. John, England, in 1909
Jessie Twiss, aged 5, who settled in America from Farranfore, Ireland, in 1910
Richard Twiss, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Twiss migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Twiss Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Twiss, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Nourmahal" arriving in Dunedin, Otaga, South Island, New Zealand on 5th May 1858 1
Mrs. Mary Twiss, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Nourmahal" arriving in Dunedin, Otaga, South Island, New Zealand on 5th May 1858 1
Michael Twiss, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Twiss (post 1700) +

Richard Twiss (b. 1954), Native American educator and author
Stephen R. Twiss, American politician, Justice of Utah Territorial Supreme Court, 1880-84 2
Robert M. Twiss, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, 1993 2
Leon Twiss, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 98th District, 1976 2
George J. Twiss (b. 1853), American Republican politician, Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, 1895-97 2
Sir Travers Twiss (1809-1897), English civilian, born at Gloucester Place, Marylebone, eldest son of the Rev. Robert Twiss by his wife, Fanny Walker
Richard Twiss (1747-1821), English miscellaneous writer, born at Rotterdam on 26 April 1747, the son of an English merchant residing in Holland
Horace Twiss (1787-1849), English wit and politician, born, probably at Bath, the eldest son of Francis Twiss
Francis Twiss (1760-1827), English compiler, the son of an English merchant residing in Holland, descended from Richard Twiss, a younger son of the family of Twiss resident about 1660 at Killintierna, co. Kerry
Michael John Twiss (b. 1977), English footballer
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html