Peyton Randolph family (including Jennings)

Peyton Randolph family (including Jennings)

Descendants of JOHN JENNINGS

Including etymology of the name, Jennings.

EXCERPT:

John, meaning the "Lord's grace," is the source of many patronymics-Jennings among them. The evolution is something like this: John, Jons, Johnson, Janson, Jennings. Other variations of the name are Jinnins, Jennins, Jenyns, Jenynges, Jannings, and Jenning, with Jennins, and Jennyns being found in the colonial records Gennequin is the French form and Gening is old German of the eighth century. In this connection it is interesting to note that Hanson and Hancock are from Hans, the Flemish nickname of John or Johannes.

The family of Jennings is of very ancient origin and its history of interest to the families of that name in the United States. They seem to have settled in England before the Norman Conquest, being of Danish extraction, altho some say that the family originated in Carnarvonshire, Wales, from whence it spread over England following the eleventh century, and later into Ireland, France and Germany.

The first member who settled in the Kingdom of Great Britain appears to have been a Danish captain, brought into England between 1017 and 1025 by Canute. King of Denmark. Here Captain Jennings was baptised into the Christian faith, and was given certain manors lying upon the seacoast near Harwich by Canute as a reward for his former services for his father, Sweyne, King of Denmark.

Another interesting member of the family seems to have been another Captain Jennens, who, we are told, had the honor of bringing the body of Richard Coeur de Lion back to England.