Marcke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Marcke is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Marcke family lived on the border between two territories, such as the Marches between England and Wales or on the English Scottish borders. The name may also have emerged as a nickname for someone born in the month of March.

Early Origins of the Marcke family

The surname Marcke was first found in Cambridgeshire at March, a market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area in the parish of Doddington, union and hundred of North Witchford. The town lies on the course of the Fen Causeway, a Roman road, and there is evidence of Roman settlements in the area. "Between this town and Wisbech, urns inclosing burnt bones, and a vessel containing 160 Roman denarii of different emperors, were discovered in the year 1730." 1 Listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Merche 2, it derives its name from the Old English word "mearc." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Henry le March and William le March, both in Cambridgeshire; and Philip le march in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes de la Marche; Ricardus del Marche; and Agnes del Marche. 4 William de la Marche was listed in Cheshire in 1295. 5

Early History of the Marcke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marcke research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1334, 1336, 1338, 1380, 1410, 1413, 1430 and 1473 are included under the topic Early Marcke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marcke 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 March, Marche and others.

Early Notables of the Marcke family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Pere March (1336/1338-1413), a Valencian poet, family had been lawyers and officers of the court of the kingdom of Aragon, undertook several important diplomatic missions, traveling to England for the first Alfonso twice in the...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marcke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Marcke family

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 Marcke or a variant listed above: John March, who settled in Charles Town Massachusetts in 1630; Hugh March, who settled in Boston in 1630; Samuel and his wife Collice March, who settled in Virginia in 1623 with their children.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)