Some Kinnersleys in Early England

Quoting Burke's History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, vol I:

The family of the Kynnersleys is very ancient, being seated long before the Conquest in com. Hereford, in a castle soe called at present. In Doomesday Booke it is recorded, that when the Conqueror was possessed of the newe kingdome of england, hee sent his Commissrs throughout y^e remote parts thereof, to know howe every man held his lands. in which tyme there was an ould gentlemen that lived and was owner of Kynnardsley Castle, in com. Hereford: by name John de Kynnardsley, and by title a knight (if any knights were before the Conquest). This ould gentleman was blind, he had then liveing with him twelve sonnes, whom with himself he armed, and stood in his castle gate, his halberd in his hand, attending the coming of sheriffs and other commissrs from ye king, who being arrived, demanded of him by what tenure he held his castle and lands; y^e old kn^t replyed by his armes, shewing to them his halberd.

Hugo de Kynardesley is mentioned in several charters in the time of Henry III (1216 - 1272). In 1250 he was Sheriff of Herefordshire and owned Newland Manor and other estates in Gloucester and Hereford. The Kynnersley Pedigree (Harleian MS 2075 in the British Museum) says that he accompanied Prince Edward (later Edward I) on crusade in 1270.

Burke's Landed Gentry and Burke's General Armory both record a family of Kynnersleys going back to Sir John de Kynardesleye, who was a clerk of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, cousin-german of Edward II (1307 - 1327). The heraldic description of the coat of arms for this family is:

Azure crusily a lion rampant argent. Crest: on a mount vert a greyhound sejant argent collared or, under a holly tree of the first, fructed gules.

(In plain English: a silver lion upon a blue cross; a greyhound wearing a gold collar, seated under a holly tree with red berries.)

Records of Kinnersleys are found in various parish registers of England beginning in the 1500's. Many of them may be found online through the International Genealogical Index maintained by the LDS Church, at http://www.familysearch.org. Some sample entries:

• 1576. Nicholas Kinnersley, Lincolnshire Reg Unit Oxf, vol ii part ii p 72.
• 1581. Buried – Dorothye Kynnerseleye, Reg Prestbury, Cheshire p 72.
• 1597. Married – Henry Kinnerslie and Margery Butler, St Mary Aldermanbury p 9.