Durkyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Durkyn reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Durkyn family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Durkyn family lived in Kent. The family was originally from De Arques, from the Castle of Arques, near Dieppe. "William de Arcis, his son, in 1086 held estates from Odo of Bayeux and Lafranc in Kent, and in Suffolk from Bernard de StAudoen, and Robert Malet." 1

Early Origins of the Durkyn family

The surname Durkyn was first found in Kent where William d'Arques was Lord of Folkestone in that shire, having been granted lands by William the Conqueror for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. William d'Arques was descended from the Vicomtes of Arques who held a castle four or five miles from Dieppe in Normandy.

"This name, which is not uncommon in the West of England, is probably identical with the De Arcis, of Domesday Book. William d'Arques, or de Arcis, was lord of Folkestone, co. Kent, temp. William I., having Bettled in England after the Norman Conquest. His ancestors were vicomtes of Arques, now a bourg and castle, four or five miles from Dieppe in Normandy." 2

Scanning through other early rolls revealed Juelina de Arches in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1201 and William de Arches c. 1150. 3

The parish of Melonsby in the North Riding of Yorkshire hold clues to an ancient origin there. "The Benedictine nunnery, was founded in the latter part of the reign of Stephen, or the earlier part of that of Henry II., by Roger D'Ark, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary." 4 Little is known of this branch of the family other that this entry and to date we can find no birth or death record for this individual.

Further to the north, "Hubert de Arches occurs in Scotland 1165-1214." 1 This entry is collaborated but with different dates, "Herbert de Arches witnessed a charter of the lands of Lesslyn (Leslie) to Malcolm filius Bartholf (c. 1171-1199.) Gilbertus de Arches witnessed confirmation of sale of the land of Scrogges to the church of Glasgow (c. 1208-1213.) Perhaps from Arques near Dieppe." 5

Early History of the Durkyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durkyn research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1141, 1221, 1229, 1740, 1760 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Durkyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durkyn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Dark, Darke, Darque and others.

Early Notables of the Durkyn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William d'Arques, Lord of Folkeston, a sometime relative of the Duke of Normandy, and King of England.Isaac Darkin or Darking (1740-1761), born in the Eastcheap district of London, was a...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Durkyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Durkyn family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Durkyn name or one of its variants: William Dark, aged 58; his wife Alice, and sons, John and Samuel, arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1680.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)