Hallam Family Genealogy
I have, for quite a while now, been involved in a "One Name Study" of the Hallam family name and in search of the Hallam family ancestral home. A "One Name Study" consists of researching an individual surname as opposed to a particular pedigree or the descendancy of one person, with the aim of identifying it's point of origin, it's evolution, and its migration around the world. "One Name Studies" form the foundation or framework for more detailed or individualized genealogical studies. They are not a breed apart.
My investigations have taken me through old libraries, history books, national archives, archaeological records, ancient charters, dusty manuscripts, hidden second hand book stores, and old map rooms, and back through hundreds of years of history. What I discovered was nothing less than amazing.
I discovered that there were infact two origins for the Hallam family name. The first was the village of Hallam and location of Waltheof's manor. Waltheof was one of the most powerful Danish earls who were allowed to retain their manor lands and titles after William the Conqueror established his hold on England, and he actually married into William the Conqueror's family. The first mention of the Hallam name occurs in a pre-Norman Charter dating to 958 and is clearly Old English being established before the Dane Law. The village first gave rise to the Manor of Hallam and then to Hallamshire, a large part of southern Yorkshire.
The village of Hallam was totally annihilated in a singular act of vengeance by William the Conqueror's army in 1069, three years after the Battle of Hastings, in revenge for the uprising of the northern earls. The village, which had been lost for 930 years, it's whereabouts a total mystery, has only recently been re-discovered. Although this village gave rise to one branch of the Hallam family name, this branch died out around about the 1400's.
The second source of the Hallam name was that of the manor of Hallam found in southern Derbyshire, and consists of West Hallam, Kirk Hallam, Little Hallam, and Hallam Fields. This manor was also mentioned in the Domesday Book, and gave rise to the Hallam name and all the Hallams we see today. My particular branch of the Hallam family originated in this manor of Hallam, and migrated first to villages around Nottingham, thence to Mansfield, back to Nottingham, north to Newcastle, and finaly to Canada, where I now live. Others of course spread thoughout Derbyshire and all of England.
The Hallam family name shows up again in Sheffield in the 1600's and originated with the manor of Hallam in Derbyshire, and not with the lost village of Hallam destroyed by William the Conqueror in 1069. This is also true for the Hallams that are found in northern Derbyshire and Yorkshire. Even today, the greatest concentration of Hallams occurs in three counties; Derbyshire, Nottinghamhsire, and Yorkshire.
Have a look around my web pages and enjoy yourself. Initially I had planned to add new material regularly to keep my site fresh. But it has taken a back seat to allow me to continue with my family genealogy. Look for information on the origin and meaning of the Hallam family name, Hallam heraldry, and the real Hallam Coat of Arms.
Robert Hallam
Robert Hallam
Last Updated
November, 2003
Papers and Articles
These links are dedicated to the memory of my father, Harold Robert Hallam, who passed away on April 1, 2000, at the age of 78. He was survived by 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.
The Origin, Meaning, and Evolution of the Hallam Family Name
A Search for the Lost Village of Hallam
Hallam Heraldry and the Real Hallam Coat of Arms
Notable Hallams in History
Fictional / Non-Fictional Books & Movies About the Hallam Family
Hallam Place-Names From Around the World
My Family Tree, Two Hundred & Fifty Years and Seven Plus Generations
A Bried Auto Biography
Selected Family Photographs
Links to Other Hallam Genealogy Pages
If you want to meet other people interested in Hallam Family Genealogy, click here.
If you want to check out other Hallam genealogy pages at Family Tree Maker's, click here.
If you want to search Hallams on the Surname Web, click here.
If you want to go to the Rootsweb Resource Centre for Hallams, click here.
If you want to go to Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet, click here.
If you want to go to the International Genealogy Index, click here.
If you want to learn more about the origin of English Place-names, click here.
If you want to learn more about the origin of Surnames, click here.
If you want to know more about the history of Sheffield and Hallamshire, click here.
If you want to learn more about British Heraldry, click here.
If you want GENUKI's Genealogy Pages for Yorkshire, click here.
If you want GENUKI's Genealogy Pages for Nottingham, click here.
If you want GENUKI's Genealogy Pages for Derbyshire, click here.
If you want to reach Sheffield on the Internet and their genealogy pages, click here.
Did you know that Hallam is the 10,763rd most popular surname in the United States, having a frequency of 0.001%. In England the frequency is 0.017%.
Want to get in touch with me? Like my page?
Email me! [rlhallam@shaw.ca]
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