Show ContentsMargison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Margison is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Margison 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 Margison family

The surname Margison 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 Margison family

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

Margison Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Margesson, Margeson, Margerison, Margetson and many more.

Early Notables of the Margison family

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

Ireland Migration of the Margison family to Ireland

Some of the Margison 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.

Migration of the Margison family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Margison or a variant listed above: Edward Margeson was one of the passengers on the " Mayflower" which arrived in 1620; Robert Margeson settled in Virginia in 1655; Joseph Margerison settled in Philadelphia in 1880..


Contemporary Notables of the name Margison (post 1700) +

  • H.M. Margison, New Zealand footballer famous for having scored two goals during the 1924 Chatham Cup
  • Richard Charles Margison OC (b. 1953), Canadian operatic tenor from Victoria, known for his work with the Canadian Opera Company

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Charles Margison, British Steward, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [3]


The Margison 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. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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