Yeamans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Yeamans is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a gatekeeper. Further research proved the surname Yeamans was originally derived from the Old English word geat, meaning gate.

Early Origins of the Yeamans family

The surname Yeamans was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat from very ancient times and were Lords of the Manor of Stock Gaylard in that shire. Conjecturally, this family name is descended from William d'Eu who held the manor at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D. Count William d'Eu's main holdings were in Wiltshire but it may well be that a junior line of the family became husbandmen to his Dorset holdings.

Early History of the Yeamans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yeamans research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1611, 1632, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1674, 1685, 1689, 1690 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Yeamans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yeamans Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Yetman, Yeatman, Yeetman, Yeaman, Yateman, Yatman and others.

Early Notables of the Yeamans family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Pym Yeatmen of Stock House; Sir John Yeamans, 1st Baronet (1611-1674), an English colonial administrator from Bristol described in his day as "a pirate ashore", Governor of the Province of Carolina; S...
Robert Yeamans or Yeomans (d. 1643), was an English Royalist who came of a numerous Bristol family, and was probably nearly related to William Yeamans (1578-1632?), a graduate of Balliol College, Oxfo...

Yeamans migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Yeamans or a variant listed above:

Yeamans Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sir John Yeamans, who landed in Carolina in 1665 1
William Yeamans, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 1

Yeamans migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yeamans Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Yeamans U.E. born in Dutchess County, New York, USA who settled in Queens County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he was Magistrate for Queens County, New Brunswick 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Yeamans (post 1700) +

Lenore Yeamans, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1960 3
Charles N. Yeamans, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1888 3
Sir Robert Yeamans (1742-1788), 6th Baronet of Bristol, English peer
Sir John Yeamans (1720-1780), 5th Baronet of Bristol, English peer
Sir Robert Yeamans, High Sheriff and Mayor of Bristol
Sir John Yeamans (1605-1676), Governor of Carolina
Lydia Yeamans Titus (1866-1929), Australian singer and actress of the stage and motion pictures

The Yeamans 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: Propositi tenax
Motto Translation: Tenacious of my resolve.

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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html