Oldacre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Oldacre reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Oldacre family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Oldacre family lived in Oldfield, Cheshire. This is a topographical name whose derivation is just as it looks. The original bearer of the name Oldfield would have been distinguished by residence near to an old field. Individual cases of the name may also spring from residence in a place which bears the name Oldfield for the same reasons as above. 1

Early Origins of the Oldacre family

The surname Oldacre was first found in Cheshire where "Guy de Provence, who came to this country [England] in the suite of Eleanor, on her marriage to King Henry III in 1236, married Alice, sister of Sir Patrick de Hartwell, and with her obtained the manor and lands of Oldfield, co. Chester. Their grandson, Richard, was the first who assumed the name De Oldfield." 2 Today, the hamlet of Oldfield is part of Gayton, a village in Wirral, Merseyside.

Early rolls give us a glimpse at the many spellings in use over the years: Helyas de Aldeacris was listed as holding lands in Yorkshire in 1231; Agnes de Aldefeld was listed in Suffolk in 1221; Robert de la Aldfeld in Cambridgeshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279; and Adam del Oldfeld in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. 3

Early History of the Oldacre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldacre research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1236, 1552, 1581, 1585, 1595, 1614, 1623, 1624, 1627, 1644, 1645, 1649, 1651, 1656, 1664, 1682, 1683, 1687, 1692, 1699, 1729, 1730, 1767, 1796 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Oldacre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldacre 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 Oldfield, Oldefield, Oldfeild and others.

Early Notables of the Oldacre family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert de Oldefelde of Oldfield; The Blessed Thomas Aufield (sometimes spelt Alfield) (1552-1585), an English Roman Catholic martyr, born in Gloucestershire, imprisoned and tortured in the Tower of London, beatified in 1929; Sir Samuel Owfield (1595-1644), an English politician...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oldacre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldacre 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 Oldacre name or one of its variants:

Oldacre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Oldacre, aged 20, Irish settler who arrived in New York in 1830 aboard the ship "Martha" 4
Thomas Oldacre, aged 35, British settler who arrived in New York in 1849 aboard the ship "Tyringham" 4
James Oldacre, aged 9, British settler who arrived in New York in 1849 aboard the ship "Tyringham" 4
Andrew Oldacre, aged 7, British settler who arrived in New York in 1849 aboard the ship "Tyringham" 4
Sarah Oldacre, aged 33, British settler who arrived in New York in 1849 aboard the ship "Tyringham" 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oldacre Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Rufus Hurbert Oldacre, aged 38, Jamaican settler who arrived in New York in 1944 aboard the ship "Marine Robin" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Oldacre (post 1700) +

Patrick Oldacre (b. 1970), American sound engineer, known for My Summer of Love (2004), Ideal (2005) and Five Days (2007)
Azariah Oldacre, American cinematographer, known for My Heart & Soul
Charday Oldacre, American Second Unit Director or Assistant Director and Writer, known for The Perfect Car When You're on the Go (2017), The Perfect Car When You're On the Go: Nissan Spec Commercial (2017) and It Happened in the 4th Quarter (2023)

The Oldacre 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: In cruce vincam
Motto Translation: I shall conquer in the cross.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result