Simcoe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Simcoe family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Simcoe family originally lived in the village of Simcoe in the county of Cornwall.

Early Origins of the Simcoe family

The surname Simcoe was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Simcoe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Simcoe research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1631, 1645 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Simcoe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simcoe Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Simcoe, Simco, Simcock, Simcox and others.

Early Notables of the Simcoe family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Simcocks (1609-1695), English Jesuit, born in London in 1609. "Destined from early life for the priesthood, he studied the humanities at the college of St. Omer. In 1631 he entered...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Simcoe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simcoe migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Simcoe:

Simcoe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Graves Simcoe, who landed in New York in 1773 1

Simcoe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Simcoe, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
H.L. Simcoe, aged 23, who immigrated to America, in 1905
Herman Simcoe, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1907
Frank William Simcoe, aged 27, who landed in America from Liverpool, England, in 1909
Richard Simcoe, aged 38, who landed in America from Blackburn, England, in 1909

Simcoe migration to Australia +

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

Simcoe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Simcoe, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 2
Mr. William Simcoe, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Simcoe (post 1700) +

Henry Addington Simcoe (1800-1868), English theologian, son of Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe, born at Plymouth
Anthony Simcoe (b. 1969), Australian actor, best known for his role in the science fiction television series Farscape
John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), from Cotterstock in Northumberland, who saw service in Boston in 1775, and as Major in command of the Queen's Rangers accepted the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. He returned to England as an M.P. for Cornwall and returned as Governor General of Canada, Lord Dorchester, from which Lake Simcoe was named. He died as Chief of the British Forces in India
John Simcoe Macaulay (1791-1855), English-born, Canadian businessman, politician and benefactor in Upper Canada; he donated the land on which the Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto) was built

The Simcoe Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non sibi sed patriae
Motto Translation: For his country, not for himself.

Citations +

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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel