Moynes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Moynes is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is a name for a monk. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old English word munuc, of the same meaning, and would indicate that the original bearer was a Monk in the medieval period (celibacy among monks was not generally adopted until the later Middle Ages, so some of them would have had families). On the other hand, the surname may be a nickname to describe someone who was perhaps a recluse.

Early Origins of the Moynes family

The surname Moynes was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Potheridge and descended from a Norman noble, Le Moyne, who attended Duke William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Conjecturally they are descended from the holder of the lands of Potheridge at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, Aubrey from Baldwin the Sheriff of Devon, who held a mare and three clusters of horses at Great and Little Potheridge and Potheridge Gate. William Le Moyne's principal seat was at Dunster Castle. From this distinguished family name are descended the ancient and ardent royalist house of the Dukes of Albermarle.

"The parish of Merton is celebrated as containing the manor of Potheridge, the home for many descents of the family of Monk, made illustrious in their descendant, the famous General. There is some little confusion as to the exact place of [Col. Thomas] Monk's birth (1608), arising from the fact that he was baptized, not at Merton, but at Landcross, a parish some miles distant, adjoining Bideford. Hence he has been variously regarded as being born at Potheridge and at Landcross. However, Potheridge was both the seat of his family and became his own chief residence. The mansion was rebuilt by him for that purpose ; but in greater part was destroyed after the death of the widow of his son Christopher, the second and last duke, in 1734." 1

Moynes Court is a building in the village of Mathern, Monmouthshire, Wales, which dates back to c. 1609. The original manor dates back to c. 1254.

Early History of the Moynes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moynes research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1608, 1610, 1627, 1653, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1670, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1701, 1715 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Moynes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moynes Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Monk, Monks, Monck, Moncks, Monckes and others.

Early Notables of the Moynes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670), English general and statesman, instrumental in the restoration of Charles II to the English throne in 1660; Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, KG, PC (1653-1688), an English soldier and politician; Nicholas Monck (c...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moynes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Moynes family to Ireland

Some of the Moynes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moynes migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Moynes name or one of its variants: