Churche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Churche name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived near a church. The surname Churche is derived from the old English word cyrice, which is itself derived from the Late Greek word kyrikon, which means house of the Lord. 1 2

Churche therefore belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. The Aglish surname is only found in Ireland where it is one of the few times an English name has been translated into Irish (eaglais, pronounced aglish, Gaelic for a church)

Early Origins of the Churche family

The surname Churche was first found in principally in Somerset but also many counties of England. One of the first records of the name was Thomas Attechurche who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1296. The "atte" prefix was quite popular for this surname at that time. Henry atte Churche was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1368. Henry of the Chirche was listed in 1368. In Norfolk, records there show John Atte-cherch was rector of Metton in 1338. 3

In Somerset, John atte Churche was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Robert atte Chyrche, Norfolk and later, John Atte-cherch was rector of Metton, Norfolk 1338. 5

"In the 16th century the family of Church or Churche held the manor of Woodham - Mortimer; and in the 17th century, Mr. William Church owned part of the Arnolds estate in Lamborn parish, [Berkshire]." 6

Early History of the Churche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Churche research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1338, 1388, 1572, 1580, 1639, 1659, 1675, 1676, 1718, 1723, 1741, 1890 and 1903 are included under the topic Early Churche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Churche Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Churche were recorded, including Church, Churche, Churchey, Aglish (Ireland) and others.

Early Notables of the Churche family

Distinguished members of the family include Colonel Benjamin Church (c.1639-1718), captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676) and is considered the father of American ranging.John Church (1675?-1741), was an English musician, "said to have been born at Windsor in 1675, and educated as a chorister at New College, Oxford. " 7 " He obtained also the appointments of lay vicar and master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey. Church composed some anthems and also many songs, which appeared in...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Churche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Churche family to Ireland

Some of the Churche family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 277 words (20 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Churche migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Churche family emigrate to North America:

Churche Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Churche, aged 16, who arrived in America in 1638 8

The Churche 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:
Motto Translation: Virtue

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)