Show ContentsMargeson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Margeson was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Margeson family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, is thought to be derived from a location in Normandy called Argenson, which would have been used as a name in its local form, D'Argenson, meaning from Argenson. The location, however, like many small settlements of the time, has been lost to the map in contemporary times. It is likely that the M now appears as the first letter of the name in most cases due to confusion with the similar metronymic name meaning son of Margaret. 1

Early Origins of the Margeson family

The surname Margeson was first found in West Sussex where the family held estates in Offington. One source claims "John D'Argenson, living in 1449, had two sons, one of whom fought at the battle of Pavia, in 1524, and the other, Peter D'Argenson, was founder of the English branch. The Margetsons of Yorkshire sprang from that personage, which may well admit of question, for certainly D'Argenson and Margetson are not much alike." 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Robert Marjorison; Richard Marjorison; and Roger Margeryson. 1

Early History of the Margeson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Margeson research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1633, 1635, 1637, 1663 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Margeson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Margeson Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Margesson, Margeson, Margerison, Margetson and many more.

Early Notables of the Margeson family

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

Ireland Migration of the Margeson family to Ireland

Some of the Margeson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Margeson migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Margeson or a variant listed above:

Margeson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Margeson was one of the passengers on the "Mayflower" which arrived in 1620
  • Edmond Margeson, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 3
  • Edward Margeson, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1620 3
  • Edmund Margeson, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 3
  • Robert Margeson, who settled in Virginia in 1655
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Margeson migration to Australia +

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

Margeson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Margeson who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 1st October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Margeson (post 1700) +

  • Matthew Margeson (b. 1980), American composer, known for his work on Wreck-It Ralph (2012), The Expendables (2010), Kick-Ass (2010) and X-Men: First Class (2011)
  • Theodore E. Margeson, Canadian jurist from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, currently serving on the Tax Court of Canada (2005-)
  • Joseph Willis Margeson (1880-1925), Canadian educator, lawyer and politician who represented Lunenburg County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1911 to 1917

Halifax Explosion
  • Ms. Marion D. Margeson, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5


The Margeson 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: Loyalité me lie
Motto Translation: Loyality binds me.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland
  5. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance


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