Show ContentsWinkworth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Winkworth family

The surname Winkworth was first found in Worcestershire where William de la Winche was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. Later, Stephen atte Wynke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327 and later again, Thomas atte Wynche was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1332. Walter Winch was found in the Pipe Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1184 and William Wynk in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1312. In Sussex, records there show William le Wynch in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. [1]

The name is well established in Yorkshire since early days. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Ricardus Wynk; Alexander Wynk; and Robertus Wynk. [2]

Just over the northern border in Scotland, it may be a "shortened form of Wineca, diminutive of the common Old English personal name Wine. Winkston near Peebles is the tun of Wink or Wynk. William Wynk who held land in Aberdeen in 1281, may be the William Wynk who rendered homage [to King Edward I of England] at Perth, 1291. " [3]

"The lands of Winkston in the parish of Peebles gave name to possessors in 1262, when Alexander de Wynkistun was on the inquest for ascertaining the rights of burgesses in the moss of Walthamshope. In 1365 the lands of Winkston were in the hands of the Gledstanes." [3] The variant Winkworth hails from the north in Yorkshire, England or Scotland.

Early History of the Winkworth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winkworth research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1281, 1291, 1365, 1587, 1619, 1660 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Winkworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winkworth Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wing, Wink, Winks, Wynk, Wyng, Wyngke, Wingh and others.

Early Notables of the Winkworth family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winkworth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Winkworth migration to Australia +

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

Winkworth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Stanhope Winkworth, (Stanton), English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Winkworth (post 1700) +

  • Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), English author, born in London at 20 Ely Place, Holborn, fourth daughter of Henry Winkworth, a silk merchant, the youngest son of William Winkworth, an evangelical clergyman [5]
  • Vance Winkworth Amory (1949-2022), Saint Kitts and Nevis politician and cricketer who served two terms as Premier of Nevis, from 1992 to 2006 and from 2013 to 2017, Minister of Sports in the Nevis Island Administration, eponym of the Vance W. Amory International Airport


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
  5. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019


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