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Welcome! This website was created on 06 Mar 2005 and last updated on 21 Mar 2024. The family trees on this site contain 1261 relatives and 261 photos. If you have any questions or comments you may send a message to the Administrator of this site.
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PLEASE HELP BY SHARING WHAT YOU KNOW............THE INFORMATION YOU CONTRIBUTE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.......... SHARING OF INFORMATION IS THE CORNERSTONE IN BUILDING `OUR FAMILY` TREE PLEASE HELP SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW THANK YOU
About Our Family
The Ancient History of the Distinguished Surname "HEATH"    After studying the ancient manuscripts, historians discovered the Heath surname to be of Anglo-Saxon origin.
    Documents such as the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 for William I of England (William the Conqueror), have reveal the first recorded instance of the Heath surname in Durham where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
    The Heath Family descended from a culture which shaped England more than any other. Coming to England in the fifth century, the Angles and Saxons dominated the countryside by force and pushed the native Britons into Wales.  Anglo Saxon Britian was divided into a bewildering number of kingdoms until unification under Egbert in the ninth century. Even with the merging of Angle and Saxon kingdoms true cohesion was not achieved until after the Norman conquest.
    After the successful Norman invasion of 1066 Anglo-Saxon rule ended. England was slowly developing into a nation.
    The Heath family was also facing a period of development and was found in the county of Durham where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Little Eden with manor and estates in that shire. They later branched to Twickenham and Mile End in Middlesex, to Oxford Shire, Kent, and Fordahl in Warwickshire. By the 14th century they had acquired large estates in Tandridge in Surrey, which was headed by Sir Robert Heath, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Nicholas Heath was Bishop of Rochester, Bishop of Worcester, and finally Archbishop of York. Notable members of the family include Archbishop of York.
    The Heath family survived the Middle Ages, despite famine, plagues, and the trials of daily life. However, in the 17th century political and religious upheaval forced many families to leave England. During this period, the middle class was gaining in power and importance, and for the first time was ready to assert itself in Parliament. The power-struggle which resulted divided the county into two enormously powerful factions. This century also saw renewed tensions between the Protestants and the Catholics. Together these conflicts were enough to drive families from their homeland.
    They immigrated to Canada, the United States, Australia, and some moved to continental Europe. Members of the Heath family risked the hazardous voyage to start a new life in new lands. The decision to emigrate was never made casually, for while there were hardships at home, the journey across the sea was so perilous that up to forty percent of a ship's passengers would not reach their destination.
    Migrants to the New World bearing the Heath surname include William Heath settled in New England in 1620, later moved to Boston in 1632; Amory, Henry, Isaac, Jane, John, Margaret, Mary, Nicholas, Thomas, and William Heath, all settled in Virginia between 1640 and 1680; Many also settled in Boston, Maryland, and Philadelphia.
    Canada was at first a French colony, but it was inevitable that the French empire be challenged. At the end of the Seven Years War, in 1763, Canada was ceded to the British. Soon after this the first large group of English-speaking migrants arrived in Canada. United Empire Loyalists arrived in the decades during and following the American Revolution. Most of the Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia and the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes region. It was not until a century after this that Canada began to develop into the great nation which it is today. After Confederation Canada acquired Rupert's Land, this, along with other contributing factors, marked the beginning of westward expansion.
    The Heath family has always contributed to the society to which it has belonged. More recent notables of the surname Heath, include Edward Heath, Ex-Prime Minister of England; Air Marshall Sir Maurice Heath; John Heath, Professor of Economics; John Heath, Diplomat.
    Research into the history of the Heath surname included a search of the ancient armories. The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was   Gold with two black stars and a gold Heathcock.
    The Crest was: A gold roster head.
    The ancient family Motto for this distinguished name was;      "Espree mieux" (Hope for better).
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Getting Around
There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.

In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool.


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