Monck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Monck family name to the British Isles. Monck is a name for a monk. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old English word munuc, of the same meaning, and would indicate that the original bearer was a Monk in the medieval period (celibacy among monks was not generally adopted until the later Middle Ages, so some of them would have had families). On the other hand, the surname may be a nickname to describe someone who was perhaps a recluse.

Early Origins of the Monck family

The surname Monck was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Potheridge and descended from a Norman noble, Le Moyne, who attended Duke William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Conjecturally they are descended from the holder of the lands of Potheridge at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, Aubrey from Baldwin the Sheriff of Devon, who held a mare and three clusters of horses at Great and Little Potheridge and Potheridge Gate. William Le Moyne's principal seat was at Dunster Castle. From this distinguished family name are descended the ancient and ardent royalist house of the Dukes of Albermarle.

"The parish of Merton is celebrated as containing the manor of Potheridge, the home for many descents of the family of Monk, made illustrious in their descendant, the famous General. There is some little confusion as to the exact place of [Col. Thomas] Monk's birth (1608), arising from the fact that he was baptized, not at Merton, but at Landcross, a parish some miles distant, adjoining Bideford. Hence he has been variously regarded as being born at Potheridge and at Landcross. However, Potheridge was both the seat of his family and became his own chief residence. The mansion was rebuilt by him for that purpose ; but in greater part was destroyed after the death of the widow of his son Christopher, the second and last duke, in 1734." 1

Moynes Court is a building in the village of Mathern, Monmouthshire, Wales, which dates back to c. 1609. The original manor dates back to c. 1254.

Early History of the Monck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Monck research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1608, 1610, 1627, 1653, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1670, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1701, 1715 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Monck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monck 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 Monk, Monks, Monck, Moncks, Monckes and others.

Early Notables of the Monck family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670), English general and statesman, instrumental in the restoration of Charles II to the English throne in 1660
Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, KG, PC (1653-1688), an English soldier and politician
Nicholas Monck (c. 1610-1661), English Bishop of Hereford and Provost of Eton, brother of George Monck

Migration of the Monck family to Ireland

Some of the Monck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Monck 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 Monck or a variant listed above:

Monck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Monck, who settled in Virginia in 1670
Hannah Monck, who landed in Maryland in 1672 2
John Monck, who landed in Maryland in 1672 2

Monck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Monck, aged 28, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Monck (post 1700) +

Harry N. Monck, American politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 8th District, 1934 3
Edward Monck, American politician, Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 3rd Circuit, 1905 3

Citations +

Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html