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Fookes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Fookes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Fookes is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Fookes family lived in Essex. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Vaux, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Fookes family

The surname Fookes was first found in Essex where Robert de Vals, de Valibus, de Vaux was first listed shortly after the Conquest. 2

However, the name was scattered throughout early Britain due to their strong Norman ancestry. Aitard de Vaux held estates in Norfolk in 1086 as did Randulph de Vaux in Cumberland. 1

In part, this was due to the origin of the name "Vaux," a fairly common French place name which is plural of the word "val" which means in English "valley." 2 The "V" and "F" prefix was interchangeable at this time.

Early History of the Fookes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fookes research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1605, 1606, 1675 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Fookes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fookes 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 Faux, Fawkes, Fauks and others.

Early Notables of the Fookes family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fookes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fookes migration to the United States +

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 Fookes name or one of its variants:

Fookes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Fookes, who landed in Virginia in 1638 3
John Fookes, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 3
Mary Fookes, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 3
Robert Fookes, who landed in Virginia in 1659 3
Jasper Fookes, who landed in Maryland in 1660 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fookes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Fookes, aged 19, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 3
David Fookes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1767 3
Peter Fookes, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 3

Fookes migration to Australia +

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

Fookes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

W.J. Fookes, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 4

Fookes migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5

Fookes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Henry Fookes, aged 21, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Fookes (post 1700) +

Ursula Mary Fookes (1906-1991), English painter and printmaker, who worked in colour linocut and painted in oils and watercolours
Dr. Ernest Faber Fookes (1874-1948), New Zealand-born rugby union wing who was capped for the England national team on ten occasions between 1896 and 1899
Janet Evelyn Fookes DBE DL (b. 1936), Baroness Fookes, a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997

The Fookes 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: A Deo et Rege
Motto Translation: From God and the king.

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies