The Grimshaw family originated in Lancashire in the northwest part of England, apparently around 1000 AD. There appear to be no records of family lines, however, for the first 200 to 250 years. It seems that the earliest recorded family was started by Walter de Grimshaw about 1250 AD at the Grimshaw location, about three miles southeast of central Blackburn. There are several thousand Grimshaws in England, with a strong concentration still in Lancashire. Many Grimshaws apparently migrated to Manchester during and after the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

, which got its start in this part of the world. A major line of Grimshaws was also started by Edward and Dorothy (Raner) Grimshaw in Yorkshire in the early 17th century. Most of these Grimshaws were of the Quaker faith, and they contributed greatly to the out-migration

Human migration

Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...

 of Grimshaws to many locations throughout the world.
It has also been recorded that some Grimshaws traveled to the New World to Jamestown, and families of Grimshaws still live in the Americas to this day.
The Family Crest

Crest (heraldry)

A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....

encompases a Griffin, Shield and Helmet.