Show ContentsVaux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Vaux was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vaux family lived in East Lothian, Scotland. Their name, however, is a reference to Vaux or Vallibus, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Vaux family

The surname Vaux was first found in East Lothian, where they were directly descended from the great baronial family of De Vaux, or De Vallibus, and still had a castle of this name in Normandy until the year 1080. They possessed Dalston and Gilliesland in Cumberland, and the barony of Dirletoun in East Lothian.

Early History of the Vaux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vaux research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1244, 1255, 1306, 1437, 1490, 1515, 1516, 1538 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Vaux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vaux Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Vance, Vans, Vaux, de Vallibus and others.

Early Notables of the Vaux family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Vaus or Vascus (1490?-1538?), Scottish Latinist, the earliest Scottish writer on grammar, born in Aberdeen. "He appears to have studied at Paris, and to have returned to his...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vaux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Vaux family to Ireland

Some of the Vaux family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Vaux migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vaux Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Leonard Vaux, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 1
  • John Vaux who landed in America in 1679
Vaux Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean Pierre De Vaux, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 1
Vaux Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Vaux, who landed in New York in 1826 1
  • James Vaux, who arrived in New York in 1834 1
  • J. Vaux settled in San Francisco, California in 1850

Canada Vaux migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vaux Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Vaux, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle on 16th August 1847 2

Australia Vaux migration to Australia +

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

Vaux Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Vaux, (b. 1765), aged 32, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1821 3
Vaux Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William K. Vaux, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1839 4
  • James Oten Vaux, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "David Malcolm" 5

New Zealand Vaux 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:

Vaux Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Vaux, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Ironsides" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 18th June 1872 6
  • Child Vaux, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Ironsides" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 18th June 1872 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Vaux (post 1700) +

  • Richard Vaux, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 9th District, 1928 7
  • Richard Vaux (1816-1895), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1856-58; Defeated, 1854, 1858; Member of Pennsylvania State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 3rd District, 1890-91 7
  • Harve E. Vaux, American politician, Mayor of Mt. Vernon, Washington, 1953 7
  • Bert Vaux (b. 1968), American professor of phonology and morphology at the University of Cambridge
  • Roberts Vaux (1786-1836), American lawyer, jurist, abolitionist, and philanthropist
  • Richard Vaux (1816-1895), American politician, Mayor of Philadelphia (1856–1858), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1890-1891)
  • Calvert Vaux (1824-1895), British-born, American architect and landscape designer, best known as the co-designer of New York's Central Park
  • Samuel De Vaux, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Niagara County, 1830 8
  • Jacques-Alexandre-François Allix de Vaux, Count de Freudenthal, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 9
  • James Hardy Vaux (1782-1819), English-born convict from Surrey who was transported to Australia three different times, author of Memoirs of James Hardy Vaux in 1819, the first full length autobiography and first dictionary written in Australia
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. 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)
  2. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 59)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  4. State Library of South Australia. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) ASIA 1839 from London with Captain Benjamin Freeman and 245 passengers, arrived Port Adelaide on 16-07-1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Asia-list.htm
  5. South Australian Register Tuesday 1st May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) David Malcolm 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/davidmalcolm1855.shtml
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Jacques-Alexandre-François Vaux. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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