Jocelyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the Germanic personal name Jocelyn, meaning Goth.

Gocelin or Gotselin (fl. 1099), was an early English "biographer, is said to have been born at or near Terouanne. He was originally a monk in the monastery of St. Bertin, and was brought over to England by Hermann, Bishop of Salisbury (1045-1077), possibly in 1058. He himself states that he accompanied Hermann to Rome shortly before the great council of Rheims (3 Oct. 1049), and as Hermann returned to England soon after Godwin's death." 1

Jocelin (d. 1199), was Bishop of Glasgow, a monk of Melrose. "After filling the office of prior he was, on 22 April 1170, chosen abbot. On 23 May 1174 he was elected bishop of Glasgow at Perth, and was consecrated at Clairvaux on 1 June 1175 by Eskilus, Archbishop of Lunden in Holstein. " 1

Jocelin de Brakelond (fl. 1200), was Chronicler of St. Edmunds Abbey, a native of Bury St. Edmunds, where two ancient streets were called Brakelond. 1

Another Jocelin or Joscelin (fl. 1200), the hagiographer, was a Cistercian monk of the Abbey of Furness in Lancashire, and was one of the monks brought from Furness, towards the close of the twelfth century, by John de Curci to the new monastery founded by him at Down in the north of Ireland. 1

Early Origins of the Jocelyn family

The surname Jocelyn was first found in Lanarkshire but one of the first records of the name was Josceline de Bohon (or Joscelyn fitz Richard de Bohon or Joscelin de Bohun) (c. 1111-1184) who was Bishop of Salisbury. His son, Reginald fitz Jocelin (sometimes Reginald Italus, Richard the Lombard, or Reginald Lombardus) was Bishop of Bath and an Archbishop of Canterbury-elect. Jocelin (or Jocelyn) (died 1199) was a twelfth-century Cistercian monk and cleric who became the 4th Abbot of Melrose and later Bishop of Glasgow, Scotland. Another branch was seated at Sempringham in Lincolnshire by grant of William the Conqueror. 2

Early History of the Jocelyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jocelyn research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1174, 1188, 1296, 1490, 1553, 1596, 1616, 1623, 1638, 1641, 1675, 1683, 1688, 1739, 1743, 1756 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Jocelyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jocelyn 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 Jocelyn, Gocelyn, Josselyn, Josselyne and others.

Early Notables of the Jocelyn family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Josselyn or Jastleyn (c.1490-1553), an English politician.Elizabeth Jocelin (1596-1623), was author of 'The Mother's Legacie to her Unborne Childe,' born in 1596, and was the daughter of Sir Richard Brooke of Norton, Cheshire, and his wife Joan. 1Ralph Josselin (1616-1683) was an English vicar of Earls Colne in Essex...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jocelyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jocelyn family to Ireland

Some of the Jocelyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jocelyn migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Jocelyn arrived in North America very early:

Jocelyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Jocelyn, who settled in New Hampshire in 1630
Hinry Jocelyn, who arrived in New Hampshire in 1630 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Jocelyn (post 1700) +

Robert Jocelyn (1846-1880), 4th Earl of Roden, an Anglo-Irish Conservative politician
Frances Elizabeth Jocelyn VA (1820-1880), née Cowper, Viscountess Jocelyn, a British courtier and amateur photographer
Robert Jocelyn KP, PC (1756-1820), 2nd Earl of Roden, an Irish peer, soldier and politician
Robert Jocelyn KP, PC PC (1788-1870), 3rd Earl of Roden, an Irish Tory politician and supporter of Protestant causes
Robert Jocelyn (1816-1854), Viscount Jocelyn, a British soldier and Conservative politician
Robert Jocelyn (1731-1797), 1st Earl of Roden, an Irish peer and politician
Mrs. Roberta Jocelyn Narroway M.B.E., British Headteacher for Valley Primary School in Solihull, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Primary Education 4
Robert Jocelyn Barham (b. 1949), American farmer and politician, Director of Louisiana State Parks (2016-), Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (2008-2016)
Henry Jocelyn Seymour (b. 1958), 9th Marquess of Hertford, a British peer
Jocelyn Wentland PhD, Canadian professor at the University of Ottawa

The Jocelyn 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: Faire mon devoir
Motto Translation: To do my duty.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
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)
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1