Merch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

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

The surname Merch 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 Merch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merch 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 Merch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merch 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 March, Marche and others.

Early Notables of the Merch 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 Merch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Merch 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 Merch 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)