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Malpas History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Malpas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Malpas is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Malpas family lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Malpas family

The surname Malpas was first found in Cheshire at Malpas, a large village and former market town, in the unions of Nantwich, Great Boughton, and Wrexham, chiefly in the Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. The barony formed part of the possessions of Earl Edwin prior to the Conquest, and was given by the first Norman earl of Chester to Robert Fitz-Hugh, one of the eight barons of his parliament. The castle, the head of the barony, was built soon after the Conquest, and stood immediately adjoining the church, but today all that is left is a circular mound, on which the keep stood. The place name literally means "the difficult passage" from the Old French words mal + pas.

Early History of the Malpas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Malpas research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Malpas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malpas Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Malpas family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Baron Malpas and Simon Maupin (ca...

Migration of the Malpas family to Ireland

Some of the Malpas 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.

Malpas migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Malpas or a variant listed above:

Malpas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Malpas, who landed in Virginia in 1711 1

Malpas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Malpas, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1856

Malpas migration to Australia +

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

Malpas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Malpas, (Malpass), (b. 1787), aged 48, British convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1851 2
George Malpas, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 3
John Malpas, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 4
Elizabeth Malpas, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 4
Ann Malpas, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Malpas migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Malpas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Malpas, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1861

Contemporary Notables of the name Malpas (post 1700) +

Charles Henry Malpas (1899-1982), English-born, Australian inventor and businessman
Sir Robert Malpas CBE FREng FRSA (1927-2023), British engineer and businessman, Chairman of ICI Europa Ltd, managing director of BP, Chairman of PowerGen and the Cookson Group, and Co-Chairman of Eurotunnel
Mr. Joel Thomas Malpas M.B.E., British Major for Army Air Corps, recipient of Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018 5
Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas (b. 1962), Scottish football player and coach
Jeff Malpas (b. 1958), Australian philosopher, Distinguished Professor at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Tasmania

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Lysander.htm
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists