Chesman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Chesman

What does the name Chesman mean?

The family name Chesman is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names of Britain. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a maker or seller of cheese. 1 2

The surname Chesman literally means the cheeseman. The surname Chesman is derived from the Old English word ciese and the West Saxon word cyse, which both mean cheese. The suffix man is one of the most common suffixes for occupational names.

Early Origins of the Chesman family

The surname Chesman was first found in Cheshire where Henry le Cheseman was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1260. A few years later, William le Chesman was listed in Sussex in 1311 and later again, Thomas Chesman, le Chusman was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Over in Somerset, Adam le Chisman and Alice Chisman were listed there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included John le Cheseman, Huntingdonshire. 4

Early History of the Chesman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chesman research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1523, 1553, 1554, 1559, 1563, 1564, 1573, 1574, 1579, 1580, 1584, 1585, 1591, 1592, 1598, 1616, 1620, 1643, 1652, 1665, 1675 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Chesman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chesman Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Chesman include Cheeseman, Cheesman, Cheesemen and others.

Early Notables of the Chesman family

Distinguished members of the family include John Cheseman (died 1592) of New Romney, Kent, an English solicitor and Member of Parliament for New Romney in October 1553, April 1554 and 1559 and Mayor of New Romney in 1563-1564, 1573-1574, 1579-1580, 1584-1585 and 1591-1592.John Cheesman (c. 1598-1665) was an English merchant and politician that settled in Virginia in the 1620s. He settled in what eventually became Elizabeth City County, Virginia. Early records show that Cheeseman was likely the same...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chesman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chesman family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: William Cheeseman who settled in Bermuda in 1635; Clement Cheeseman settled in Maryland in 1774; John Cheeseman settled in New York State in 1821; Morton Cheeseman settled in San Francisco, Cal. in 1850..

Historic Events for the Chesman family +

HMS Royal Oak

William Edward Chesman (1912-1939), British Leading Stoker with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 5

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html