Hursthouse Family

This is Ruth Hursthouse's copy is from a book written by her cousin S Percy Smith's of New Plymouth - his knowledge came from an old family tree compiled by John Hursthouse of Tydd St Mary, Lincolnshire in 1685 and 1796 and from information obtained in an old family bible belonging to John Hursthouse dated 1705 and from his mother Hannah Smith. This early research was shared by Hursthouse descendant, Michael. Please contact him if you can assist his Hursthouse family research.

The family tradition is that the first John Hursthouse came over from Holland some time about the year 1600 and settled in Lincolnshire or Notts. His immigration was probably due to the persecution of the Protestants about the end of the 16th Century when so many exiles from Flanders settled in England. The name Hursthouse is derived from the Middle High German "hurst"i.e. a wood, (Anglo Saxon "hirst") and therefore may be translated "Woodhouse" or "House-in-the-wood".

These arms are as shown in the margin of the family tree however it is most likely that these are comparatively modern, for the original Hursthouses of England were not in a position to have arms unless the family had much decayed, as is likely, during the persecution of the Protestants in Flanders.

The Hursthouse family has always lived in Northamptonshire or Linconshire and Charles Hursthouse always said it was the only family of the name in England. A cousin of S Percy Smith, Grace Marmion, came across a schoolmaster in Norfolk whose name was Hursthouse and claimed to be the only one left of that name in England. It is clear that the Hursthouses gradually rose in position and means up to the time of Charles Hursthouse who was a man of considerable property at one time but lost it all during the Napoleonic Wars and consequent troubles in the early years of the 19th century