HISTORY OF THE SYMONS NAME :

This typically East Anglican surname is derived from the Hebrew personal name "Shim' on", which is probably connected with the verb "sham'a" "to hearken". Coming from this the personal name Simon is found in the New Testament and was to give rise to numerous variants in all the countries of Europe. In England variants were sometimes confused with the Anglo-Scandinavian "Sigmund" and its cognate Norman form "Simund". The surname Simund had already clearly emerged by the early 13th Century. One Margery Simondes is noted in early Essex records for 1308.

As the surname developed it was to include numerous variants, such as Symonds, Symons, and Simmons. The marriage of Thomas Symons ns and Agneta Wever was recorded at St. Bartholomew the Less, London, on November 23rd 1567. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Simund, which was dated 1222, in the "Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Our Symons / Simmons family including MAY OF CORNWALL Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg HENRY ^2 SIMMONS – see 2.

GENERATION ONE:

1.~ ~ ~ SAMUEL SYMONS was living with his parents in Bodinland, Cornwall in 1861. On the 1871 Census he is recorded as living at 200 Middle Hill, Bodinland (name changed to Pensilva) Samuel married ELIZA MAY. Eliza was the seventh daughter of ABRAHAM MAY and JANE TRELEASE and was christened on 25 June 1831 in Gwennap, Cornwall. By 1881 the Census records show the surname spelled as “Simmons”.

Children of SAMUEL SYMONS and ELIZA MAY included:

HENRY ² SIMMONS, born 1863.

ARTHUR SIMMONS, born 19 April 1864. Arthur is recorded as living at 200 Middle Hill in 1871 and from 1881-1891 was resident at Sunnyside Mills, in Bolton, Lancashire (Sunnymills was a famous cotton company) Arthur settled in Michigan in the United States of America and had nine children (spouse’s name unknown)

ETTA SIMMONS, born 1868. Etta is recorded as living at 200 Middle Hill in 1871 and from 1881-1891, like her brother Arthur, was resident at Sunnyside Mills, in Bolton, Lancashire (Sunnymills was a famous cotton company)

SAMUEL SIMMONS, born 1871. Like his siblings Samuel was a resident at Sunnyside Mills, in Bolton, Lancashire from 1881-1891.

GENERATION TWO:

2. ~ ~ ~ HENRY SIMMONS (SAMUEL) was born in 1863. In 1881 Henry was employed as a Coachman to Sir Henry Lee of Tootal Broadhurst & Lee (a famous cotton company in Lancashire – now Greater Manchester) Henry married MARTHA ELLEN WRIGHT.

Children of HENRY SIMMONS and MARTHA WRIGHT included:

CHARLES HENRY SIMMONS, born 1886; died 1956.

STANLEY SIMMONS, born 1889; died 1953. Stanely immigrated to New Zealand and was employed as an Ironmonger in Napier, Hawkes Bay.

ARTHUR WRIGHT SIMMONS, born 25 November 1899; died 1930. Arthur married ANNIE HOWARTH and they had two sons.

Please note that in keeping to genealogy publishing protocol I have not included information about later generations including living persons. If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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