The name Doncalf reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Doncalf family lived in Yorkshire. One reference suggests that the name could be derived from the localat the dun-croft but this is only speculation.
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Early Origins of the Doncalf family
The surname Doncalf was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, where conjecturally this family is descended on the male side from Drogo de Beuvriere, a Norman knight, who held the village of Ottringham from the Archbishop of York. Drogo was originally granted the castle of Skipsey and was said to have married a kinswoman of William the Conqueror who he killed in 1086, either by accident or design. He fled the country leaving only his descendants on estates in Yorkshire.
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Early History of the Doncalf family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doncalf research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Doncalf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Doncalf Spelling Variations
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Doncalf family name include Duncalfe, Duncalf and others.
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Early Notables of the Doncalf family
More information is included under the topic Early Doncalf Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Doncalf family
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Doncalf family to immigrate North America: William Duncalfe who settled in Virginia in 1739; John B. Duncalfe arrived in Philadelphia in 1868.
England
