Contents [hide]

Pacey History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Pacey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

The name Pacey came to England with the ancestors of the Pacey family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pacey family lived in Cheshire. The name, however, is a reference to Pacy Sur Eure, in Evreux, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Alternatively, the name could be "given to one born during the Passover festival or at Easter; descendant of Pace (peace), or of Pace, a pet form of Bonapace (good peace)." 2

"Easter-eggs are still called pace-eggs in the North of England." 3 4

Early Origins of the Pacey family

The surname Pacey was first found in Leicestershire where John Pais was listed in 1219. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Roger and Ralph Pays in Norfolk and John Pax in Devon. Again, in Devon, John Pace was listed there in 1242. Up north, Peter Pece was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1302. 4 William Pace was listed in the Testa de Nevill and accordingly held lands at that time. 5

Early History of the Pacey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pacey research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1153, 1482, 1509, 1514, 1516, 1523 and 1536 are included under the topic Early Pacey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pacey Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Pace, Paice, Pacie, Pacy and others.

Early Notables of the Pacey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Pace (c. 1482-1536), an English diplomat of the Tudor period. In 1509, he accompanied Cardinal Christopher Bainbridge, Archbishop of York, to Rome and remained with him until the cardinal's death by poisoning. He was instrumental in bringing the murderer to justice. He returned to England and became Cardinal Wolsey's secretary and in 1516 a Secretary of State. He was also...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pacey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pacey migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Pacey or a variant listed above:

Pacey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Pacey, aged 30, who immigrated to America from Nottingham, in 1892
Ino. Pacey, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1894

Pacey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John James Pacey, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States from Leicester, England, in 1907
Annie Emma Pacey, aged 41, who landed in America from Leicester, England, in 1907
Walter George Pacey, aged 19, who landed in America from Bletchley, England, in 1908
William James Pacey, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1910
Mabel M. Pacey, aged 25, who landed in America from London, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pacey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pacey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Pacey, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. William Pacey, (b. 1810), aged 18, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1860 7
Mr. Edward Pacey, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Pacey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pacey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Pacey, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Brahmin" in 1883

Contemporary Notables of the name Pacey (post 1700) +

Edward J. Pacey (1894-1972), American Republican politician;Lawyer; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1940, 1948 (alternate)
David "Dave" Pacey (1936-2016), English professional footballer
Dennis Frank Pacey (1928-2009), English footballer
Steven Pacey (b. 1957), English actor from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Eric Pacey (b. 1978), retired Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Minnesota Swarm
William Cyril Desmond Pacey FRSC (1917-1975), New Zealand-born, Canadian literary critic, recipient of the Lorne Pierce Medal

Historic Events for the Pacey family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Reginald Ivan Pacey (d. 1912), aged 17, English Lift Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 9

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html