Punchard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Punchard is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Punchard family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is a reference to Pontchardon, near Neauffla, in Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Punchard family

The surname Punchard was first found in Devon. "Heanton Punchardon preserves the name of a distinguished family, of whom the most prominent member, Sir Richard, served with great note in France under Edward III." 2

"Robert de Pontchardon is on the Dives Roll. Robert de Pontcardon held lands in Devon 1083 (Exon. Domesday). William de Punchardon in 1165 held six fees in Somerset and Devon : Roger de Punchardon in Lincoln, and Matthew in Northumberland or York 3. William de Punchardon of Heanton-Punchardon, Devon, was living 1242 (Pole), and in 1261 Oliver de Punchardoun had a writ of military summons for the war in Wales. " 4

Early History of the Punchard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Punchard research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1242, 1590, 1630 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Punchard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Punchard 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 Punchon, Puncheon, Punchard, Punshardon, Punshow and many more.

Early Notables of the Punchard family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Punchard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Punchard 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 Punchard name or one of its variants:

Punchard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Punchard, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 5

Punchard migration to Australia +

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

Punchard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Punchard, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. David Punchard, (b. 1811), aged 37, English carpenter who was convicted in Ipswich, Suffolk, England for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, he died in 1870 7

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia