Show ContentsPankhearst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Pankhearst come from when the family resided in the region of Parkhurst or wood in the park. Pankhearst is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Pankhearst family

The surname Pankhearst was first found in Herefordshire where Sir Osbern Pentecost (died 1054), a Norman knight who followed Edward the Confessor to England built the castle at Ewyas, one of the first Motte and Bailey structures in England. He like many other Normans was banished from England so he secured safe passage to Scotland in 1052 but was later killed at the Battle of Dunsinane.

"The Bishops of Exeter held Ashburton, [Devon] until it was assumed by the Crown under James I., and subsequently sold in moieties to Sir Robert Parkhurst and the Earl of Feversham. " 1

Early History of the Pankhearst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pankhearst research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1560, 1569, 1574, 1603, 1625, 1635, 1636, 1651, 1659, 1674, 1743, 1797 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Pankhearst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pankhearst Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Pankhearst has been recorded under many different variations, including Parkhurst, Pankhurst and others.

Early Notables of the Pankhearst family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Emily Pankhurst, Suffragette; John Parkhurst (c. 1511-1574), an English Marian exile and later Bishop of Norwich in 1560; Sir Robert Parkhurst (c.1569-1636), an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pankhearst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pankhearst family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Pankhearst or a variant listed above: Anthony Parkhurst settled in Virginia in 1635; George Parkhurst settled in New England in 1630; John Parkhurst settled in Maryland in 1774.



  1. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital


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