Martene History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Spain
England

Of all the French names to come from Normandy, Martene is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Martene family

The surname Martene was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family has held a family seat since early times.

By 1204 a branch of the family was firmly established in Fittleton where Elyas de Martigni in Normandy gave five marks to pay tax on his lands in England. A second family of this name originated from the region of Faucigny, in the province of Savoie, then moved to Bourgogne, where they established in the region of Charollais.

Among its members were: Guillaume, a "gruyer" (supervisor of lands and forests) of Charollais in 1358; another Guillaume, a Knight, who was listed in an arms display in 1419; Jean, a Knight of the Order and Lord of la Villeneuve and Rocheprise, who died in 1576; and Jean and Claude, sons of Jean, who were Horsemen in 1593.

This certain family were admitted to the Estates in 1562. The last family originated from the region of Poitou. A member included in this family was: Jean, a Knight of Saint-Lazare, and spouse of Anne de Boigne, and who was a nephew of a Counselor of the Parliament of Bordeaux.

Louis Martineau, born in 1632, son of Jean and Mathurine (née Bonne), travelled to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Madeleine Marcot, born in 1634, daughter of Mathurin and Marie (née Regnaud), at Château-Richer on 9th April 1663. They remained together in Quebec until Louis passed away at Saint-François-de-l'île-d'Orléans on 21st May 1709. 1

Early History of the Martene family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Martene research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1139 and 1576 are included under the topic Early Martene History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Martene Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous spelling alterations depending on the region and time it was used. The early development of the French language relied heavily on borrowing elements and grammar from other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Martene is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Martigny, Martignie, Martignies, Marrtigny, Marrtignie, Marrtignies, Martigney, Martinerie, Martinière, Martinier, Martini, Martygny, Martygnie, Martygnies, Marttigny, Marttignie, Marttignies, de Martigny, du Martigny and many more.

Early Notables of the Martene family

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

Migration of the Martene family

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Martene has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Martene were Antoine Martineau who settled in Quebec in 1758.

Contemporary Notables of the name Martene (post 1700) +

Martene Windsor "Bill” Corum (1895-1958), American sports columnist for the New York Evening Journal
Martene Windsor "Bill” Corum" (1895-1958), sports columnist for the New York Evening Journal

The Martene 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: Sub umbra tuarum
Motto Translation: I will rest under a shadow.

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print