Marske History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Marske is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Marske family lived on the border between two territories, such as the Marches between England and Wales or on the English Scottish borders. The name may also have emerged as a nickname for someone born in the month of March.

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old English word "mersc" and denoted a "dweller near a marsh." 1 2

Early Origins of the Marske family

The surname Marske was first found in Somerset where Godard de la Merse was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1194. Later, Henry del Merse was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1212 and William atte Mersche was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. The variant Mash dates back to 1524 when Robert Masshe was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk. 1

The name is "distributed over the greater part of England, but rare or absent north of Nottinghamshire and Lancashire. It has several centres, namely, in Cambridgeshire and Kent in the east, in Lancashire in the north, in Shropshire in the west, and in Wilts, Dorset, and Somerset in the south. Marsh is the name of a parish both in Shropshire and Kent." 3

There are "parishes in counties Buckingham and Lincoln. The Kentish family appear to have been in that county from the XIV. cent. The Latinization is De Marisco, and the medieval form is Ate-Mershe. The equivalent name Marais is common in France." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Isabel ate Mershe, Oxfordshire and John in le Merse, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Marske family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marske research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1515, 1555, 1567, 1568, 1626, 1638, 1667, 1673, 1682, 1683, 1691, 1693, 1694, 1703, 1713, 1734 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Marske History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marske Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Marske are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Marske include Marsh, Marsch, Marshe and others.

Early Notables of the Marske family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was George Marsh (1515-1555), a Protestant martyr born in the parish of Deane near Bolton. He was executed in April 1555 as a result of the Marian Persecutions carried out against Protestant Reformers and other dissenters during the reign of Mary I of England. The church of Deane in Bolton has a "very old...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marske Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Marske family to Ireland

Some of the Marske family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Marske family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Marske, or a variant listed above: Alexander Marsh, who settled in Virginia in 1698; Arthur Marsh, who settled in Virginia in 1663; Hugh Marsh, who settled in Virginia in 1650; John Marsh, who settled in Virginia with Joseph in 1635.

Citations +

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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.