Poundford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Poundford was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Poundford family lived in Gloucestershire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Poundford family

The surname Poundford was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Hasfield. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in the year 1086 A.D., a survey of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, the chief tenant of Hasfield was Westminster Abbey and holding the land from the Abbey was Thurstan FitzRolf. It is from this latter Norman noble that the Paunceforts are conjecturally descended. Pancevold was a tenant-in-chief at the survey, and Pancefolt was an under-tenant. They held this manor until 1598. The name is derived from the French Pancevolt. 1

"The first of the name on record is Bernard Pancevolt, a Domesday tenant-in-chief in Hampshire. Geoffrey de Pauncevote was steward to the household of King John." 2Samual Pancevot was listed in Hampshire, Henry, Edward I. 3

In 1165 Humphrey Paunevolt held fiefs in Gloucester from Newmarch 4. Humphrey Pancevolt witnessed the foundation of Shireburn Abbey, Hants. The name long continued in Gloucester and elsewhere. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Grimbald Pancefot, Hertfordshire; and Walter Pancevot, Somerset. 5 In Somerset, John Paucefot was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Early History of the Poundford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Poundford research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1383 and 1437 are included under the topic Early Poundford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Poundford Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Poundford are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Poundford include Pauncefoot, Pauncefort, Pauncefoote, Pauncefote and others.

Early Notables of the Poundford family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Poundford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Poundford family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Poundford, or a variant listed above: John Pauncefoot who landed in North America in 1750.

The Poundford 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: Pensez forte
Motto Translation: Think firmly.

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.