Douceson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Douceson begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the personal names Douce and Dow. This patronymic name is augmented by the suffix -son, which superseded the other patronymic suffixes in prominence by the 14th century, and was most common in the north of England.

Early Origins of the Douceson family

The surname Douceson was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which included: Jordan Dousing, Lincolnshire; and Richard Dusing, Norfolk. Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Dousyng as holding lands there at that time. 1

Early History of the Douceson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Douceson research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1327, 1349, 1379, 1573, 1596, 1643 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Douceson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Douceson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Douceson has been recorded under many different variations, including Dowson, Douson, Doweson, Dowsoun, Douseson, Douceson and many more.

Early Notables of the Douceson family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Dowsing (1596-1668) was an English iconoclast under orders in 1643 which stated that "all Monuments of Superstition and Idolatry should be removed and abolished", specifying: "fixed altars, altar rails, chancel...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Douceson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Douceson family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Douceson or a variant listed above: Gilbert Dowson who settled in Virginia in 1637; George Dowson settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774; Martha Down settled in America in 1763; R.H. Dowson settled in Maryland in 1820.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)