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Edgcombe History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Edgcombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Edgcombe surname lived at the edge of the valley. The surname Edgcombe originally derived from the Old English word Eggcombe. The surname Edgcombe is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Edgcombe family

The surname Edgcombe was first found in Devon where the original ancestor Richard Edgcumbe was Lord of Edgecumbe in 1292. 1 "In the reign of Edward III, William Edgcumbe, second son of the house of Edgcumbe, having married the heiress of Cotehele, in the parish of Calstock, removed into Cornwall, and was the ancestor of the Edgcumbes of Cotehele and Mount Edgcumbe, Earls of Mount Edgcumbe (1789)" 1

"Milton Abbot contains the lovely Devonshire seat of the Dukes of Bedford Endsleigh. Edgcumbe, here, is the original home of the family of Edgcumbe, and has continued in the possession of the elder branch from the reign of Edward III. The younger branch is ennobled as Earls Mount Edgcumbe. " 2

"Mount-Edgcumbe House, [in Maker, south-east Cornwall] the noble seat of the Edgcumbe family, and from which its representative derives the title of Earl, was originally built in the reign of Mary, and, with the exception only of Salcombe, was the last garrison that held out for Charles I.; it occupies an elevated site, commanding an extensive prospect, and its domain presents a variety of beautiful scenery." 3 It was built by Sir Richard Edgcumbe between 1547 and 1553 and later destroyed during World War II but was restored in the late 1950s.

Calstock in Cornwall was another ancient home of the family. "This singular mansion is delightfully situated on the banks of the Tamar, which winds along the vale, the sides of which are covered with luxuriant fertility. This place gave name to a very ancient family, that became extinct in the male line so early as the reign of Edward III. The heiress of this family was afterwards married to "William de Eggecombe," who fixed his residence at Cotehele. The present house was built by Sir Richard Edgcumbe in the reign of Henry VII. ; and from its high state of preservation, it exhibits to the curious a fine specimen of a mansion house of that age." 4

Early History of the Edgcombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edgcombe research. Another 264 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1489, 1493, 1494, 1497, 1499, 1513, 1536, 1540, 1562, 1563, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1608, 1609, 1629, 1639, 1640, 1661, 1667, 1679, 1681, 1688 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Edgcombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edgcombe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Edgcombe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Edgcombe include: Edgecombe, Edgecomb, Edgecumb, Edgecumbe and others.

Early Notables of the Edgcombe family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Peter Edgcumbe or Edgcombe (1536-1608), an English politician

Edgcombe migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Edgcombe or a variant listed above:

Edgcombe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Edgcombe, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 5

Edgcombe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Edgcombe, who landed in Virginia in 1701 5

Edgcombe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Edgcombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Ann Edgcombe, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 6
Miss Selia Edgcombe, (b. 1837), aged 21, Cornish housemaid departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Fitzjames" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1858 7
Miss Margaret Edgcombe, (b. 1839), aged 19, Cornish nursemaid departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Fitzjames" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1858 7
Miss Thomasine Edgcombe, (b. 1840), aged 18, Cornish nursemaid departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Fitzjames" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1858 7

Edgcombe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Edgcombe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Edgcombe, (b. 1855), aged 20, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Helen Denny" arriving in Hawkes Bay, Napier, North Island, New Zealand on 20th September 1875 8

The Edgcombe 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: Au playsir fort de dieu
Motto Translation: In high-pleasure of God

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. 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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html