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Gascoigne History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gascoigne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Gascoigne family lived in Yorkshire. Their name, however, is not a reference to this place, but to the family's place of residence prior their emigration to England, Gascony, a French province which was occupied by the English from 1152 until 1453.

The family was "a native of Gascony, the French province, which being in the possession of England, during a portion of the XIV. cent., supplied this country with many new families and names. The heads of the family were all Williams, the courageous Chief-Justice who sent Prince Henry to prison being one." 1

The surname was introduced to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, as was the wine for which the area was known. Geoffery Chaucer's Old English poem Piers Plowman makes reference to "reed wyn of Gascoigne."

Early Origins of the Gascoigne family

The surname Gascoigne was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire as Saxton, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. "The parish comprises by computation 4030 acres, and is chiefly the property of the daughters and co-heiresses of R. O. Gascoigne, Esq." 2

"The Gascoignes were for many generations settled at Gawthorpe in Yorkshire, where their old hall stood by the side of the lake, about two hundred yards south of Lord Harewood's present house. It had come to them early in the fourteenth century, through the marriage of William Gascoigne with its heiress, Mansild de Gawkethorp." 3

Indeed, the family produced a long list of notables dating back to 1026 in Northumberland where Bernard Gascon was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1206. Two years later, William le Gascum was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1208. 4

From these earliest listings the family spread throughout ancient Britain including: Philip le Gascoyn in Shropshire in 1266. The Hundredorum Rolls has two listings: Peter Gascoying in Devon in 1274; and Geoffrey Gascoyne, in Norfolk in 1275. 4

"In the 15th century and later, Gascon occurs as Gaskin, Gascogne, Gascoigne, which some believe may be due to the influence of Gascogne 'Gascony'. Some of the above forms are certainly from the adjective." 4

Other early listings include: Robert de Gascoin, Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243; Nicholas de Gascoigne in 1340; and William Gascoigne in the Feet of Fines in 1389. Johannes Gascone was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls in 1379. 5

Early History of the Gascoigne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gascoigne research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1381, 1404, 1419, 1458, 1507, 1514, 1516, 1525, 1535, 1537, 1558, 1572, 1577, 1579, 1593, 1596, 1602, 1610, 1614, 1623, 1637, 1644, 1659, 1661, 1662, 1686, 1687, 1698, 1716, 1718, 1723 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Gascoigne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gascoigne Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Gascoigne, Gascoyne, Gascoine, Gascoin, Gaskoyne and others.

Early Notables of the Gascoigne family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Gascoigne (c.1350-1419), Chief Justice of England during the reign of King Henry IV, eldest son of William Gascoigne, by Agnes, daughter of Nicholas Frank, was born at Gawthorpe, Yorkshire
Thomas Gascoigne (1404-1458), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University
John Gascoigne (fl. 1381), an English lawyer and author
George Gascoigne (c. 1535-1577), an English poet, soldier and unsuccessful courtier
John Gascoigne (c.1537-1602), of Parlington, Yorkshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Aldborough in 1558
William Gascoigne (c.1610-1644), English scientific instrument maker
Sir John Gascoigne, 1st Baronet (died 1637)
Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 2nd Baronet (c. 1596-c.1686)
Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 3rd Baronet (c. 1623-1698)
Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 4th Baronet (c. 1659-c. 1718)
Sir John Gascoigne, 5th Baronet (c. 1662-1723)

Migration of the Gascoigne family to Ireland

Some of the Gascoigne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gascoigne migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Gascoigne or a variant listed above:

Gascoigne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Gascoigne, who arrived in Georgia in 1735 6

Gascoigne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

P. Gascoigne, who settled in Baltimore, Maryland in 1820
Charles Gascoigne, who landed in New York, NY in 1828 6
Charles Gascoigne, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859

Gascoigne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Walter Gascoigne, aged 31, who landed in America from Sheffield, in 1906
Thomas Gascoigne, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1908
Irving Gascoigne, aged 22, who settled in America from Carlisle, England, in 1910
Alvary D Gascoigne, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Lotherton, England, in 1911
Frederic R Gascoigne, aged 58, who landed in America from Lotherton, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gascoigne migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gascoigne Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Gascoigne, (b. 1795), aged 21, English labourer who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gascoigne (post 1700) +

Thomas C. Gascoigne (b. 1899), English professional footballer who played from 1926 to 1937
Sir Thomas Gascoigne (1745-1810), 8th Baronet, English peer
Thomas Gascoigne (1786-1809), English land and coal-owner in Yorkshire, son of Sir Thomas Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne (b. 1967), former England international footballer
William Gascoigne (d. 1644), English astronomer, and maker of scientific instruments, who invented the micrometer
Mr. Arthur Bamber Gascoigne C.B.E., FRSL, (1935-2022), English television presenter and author, original quizmaster on University Challenge (1962 to 1987), Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1976, trustee of the National Gallery, a trustee of the Tate Gallery, a member of the council of the National Trust 8
Stephen Harold Gascoigne (1878-1942), better known as Yabba, an Australian sports fan, remembered as a heckler at Sydney Cricket Ground cricket field
Rosalie Gascoigne AM (1917-1999), New Zealand-born, Australian sculptor
Marguerite J. Gascoigne (1916-2004), pseudonym of Marguerite Lazarus, British writer
Major-General Sir Julian Gascoigne KCMG, KCVO, CB, DSO (1903-1990), British Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District (1950-1953)
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists