Carminough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The proud Carminough family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Carminough family originally lived in Cornwall at the manor of Carminow.

Early Origins of the Carminough family

The surname Carminough was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Carminow, in the parish of St.Mawgan. Family tradition has it that this family goes back to the time of King Arthur, or so it was attested in the Court of Chivalry, at the time of King Richard II when the family claimed a Coat of Arms which was also being used by the Scropes and the Grosvenors. The Carminow also attested that one of his ancestors represented King Edward the Confessor at the Court of the Duke of Normandy (1060) A.D.

The manor of "Boconnoc was the seat of the Carminows; as one of this family presented to the rectory so early as the year 1318. This was the first family that possessed this manor independently of the earldom, to which it was primarily annexed. From the Carminows it passed by an heiress to Sir Hugh Courtenay, who was slain at the fatal battle of Tewkesbury in 1471." 1

"The manor of Merthen, on which were formerly a park and a stately mansion, belonged anciently to the Carminows, from which family it passed in marriage with a co-heiress to the Trevarthians." 1

"The manor of Wynyanton, which formerly gave name to the parish [of Gunwalloe], belonged at a very early period to the crown. In 1235 it was the property of the Earl of Cornwall, by whom it was exchanged for another portion of property with Gervase de Hornington. Shortly afterwards it passed to the Carminows, by one of whose co-heiresses it was carried in marriage to Trevarthian." 1

Early History of the Carminough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carminough research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1801 is included under the topic Early Carminough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carminough 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 Carminow, Carmenow, Carminoe, Carminough, Carmino, Carmynow, Carminaw and many more.

Early Notables of the Carminough family

More information is included under the topic Early Carminough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carminough family

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Carminough were found: Edward Carminaw who landed in North America in 1750.

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print