Linacre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Linacre was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Linacre family lived in Cheshire. Linacre was an English topographic name for someone who lived near a field where flax was grown for the manufacture of linen cloth. It derives from the Old English word lin, meaning flax, and the word aecer, meaning cultivated field. Individual cases of the surname may be derived directly from this source, or second-hand from the towns of Linacre in Lancashire and Cambridge, both of which get their names from this source.

Early Origins of the Linacre family

The surname Linacre was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Linacra in 1086. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, the family name is conjecturally descended from Godwin de Linacra, a Norman Baron, as noted in 1086. However, it is likely that soon after, they gave their name to Linacre across the River Mersey from Meols, now a suburb of Liverpool and in the parish of Walton on the Hill.

Early History of the Linacre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linacre research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1500, 1518, 1524 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Linacre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linacre Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Linacre, Linaker, Leneker, Linneker, Liniker, Linnecar, Linnecor, Linegar, Linnegar, Lineker, Lynaker, Lynacre, Lynneker, Lenniker and many more.

Early Notables of the Linacre family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Linacre (c1460-1524) humanist and physician who was born in Canterbury...

Migration of the Linacre family to Ireland

Some of the Linacre family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linacre migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Linacre or a variant listed above:

Linacre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Linacre, who settled in New York in 1796
Jame Linacre, who landed in New York in 1796 2

Linacre migration to Australia +

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

Linacre Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Linacre, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Linacre (post 1700) +

John Linacre (b. 1955), retired English professional footballer
James Henry "Harry" Linacre (1880-1957), English professional football goalkeeper who played from 1889 to 1909
Adrian MT Linacre, Scottish instructor at the Centre for Forensic Science at Strathclyde University, Scotland

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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 Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829