Malpess History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Malpess family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Malpess family

The surname Malpess was first found in Cheshire at Malpas, a large village and former market town, in the unions of Nantwich, Great Boughton, and Wrexham, chiefly in the Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. The barony formed part of the possessions of Earl Edwin prior to the Conquest, and was given by the first Norman earl of Chester to Robert Fitz-Hugh, one of the eight barons of his parliament. The castle, the head of the barony, was built soon after the Conquest, and stood immediately adjoining the church, but today all that is left is a circular mound, on which the keep stood. The place name literally means "the difficult passage" from the Old French words mal + pas.

Early History of the Malpess family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Malpess research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Malpess History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malpess Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Malpess were recorded, including Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Malpess family

More information is included under the topic Early Malpess Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Malpess family to Ireland

Some of the Malpess 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.

Migration of the Malpess family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Malpess arrived in North America very early: George Malpas arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.