Wench History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Wench is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wench family lived in Bedfordshire, at Winch. The name was originally derived from the Old English word winch, meaning sharp bend in the river.

Early Origins of the Wench family

The surname Wench was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Haynes. Conjecturally they are descended from Hugh de Beauchamp who occupied those lands at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a census initiated by William the Conqueror in 1086 after his Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Wench family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wench research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1582, 1590, 1608, 1611, 1616, 1622, 1625, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1667, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1689 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Wench History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wench 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 Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.

Early Notables of the Wench family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Humphrey Winch (1555-1625), an English judge from Bedfordshire, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (1608-1611) who had a distinguished career in Ireland and England, but whose reputation was seriously damaged by the Leicester witch trials of 1616. He was...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wench Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wench family to Ireland

Some of the Wench 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.

Wench 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 Wench or a variant listed above:

Wench Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Wench, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 2
Ellin Wench, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 2

Wench Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margrett Wench, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 2
Margaret Wench, who landed in Virginia in 1705 2
Johannes Bernhard Wench, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2

Wench Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Felix Wench, who landed in Mississippi in 1849 2

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)