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![Show Contents]() Sprink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Sprink comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a young or very active individual, which was originally derived from the Old English word spring literally meaning the season spring. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. This nickname surname was used to describe the original bearers character as it related to the young shoots in the ground when they would rise from the earth in the spring. Early Origins of the Sprink familyThe surname Sprink was first found in Suffolk where they were major landowners in East Anglia seated from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Lavenham, the family were important merchants in the cloth and wool trade during the Middle Ages. The Spring or DeFonte family claim descendancy through Norman, Peter, William, Hugh de Fonte in Normandy who were listed there in a census (1180-1195.) The earliest record of the name in England was found c. 1198 when Reginald and Emma de Fonte were listed there at that time. 1 Houghton Le Side in Durham was an ancient family seat. "The vill was a portion of the inheritance of the early lords of Raby, and was granted by Robert Fitz-Mildred to the Springs, of whom Sir John Spring was, in 1312, murdered in his manorhouse here by Robert Lascelles, of Yorkshire." 2 and nearby in Houghton Le Spring more early evidence of the family was found. "This place, which takes its name from a family to whom it belonged soon after the Conquest, is one of the great manors of the see of Durham." 2 Early History of the Sprink familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sprink research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1311, 1313, 1369, 1390, 1474, 1523, 1547, 1578, 1579, 1597, 1599, 1613, 1637, 1642, 1646, 1648, 1654, 1672, 1674, 1679, 1684, 1697, 1704, 1737, 1740 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Sprink History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sprink Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Sprink has undergone many spelling variations, including Spring, Springe, Springs, Springes, Springer and others. Early Notables of the Sprink familyDistinguished members of the family include Thomas Spring (c.1474-1523), also referred to as Thomas Spring III, and Thomas Spring of Lavenham, an English clothier in Suffolk and one of the richest men in England at the time; Sir John Spring (d. 1547), of Lavenham, Buxhall, Hitcham, and Cockfield, Suffolk, was an English merchant and politician; Sir William Spring of Lavenham (died 1599), an English politician and merchant, High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1578-1579; Sir William Spring of...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sprink Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Sprink family to Ireland
Some of the Sprink family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sprink familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Sprink were among those contributors: Henry, Eleanor, John and his son John, Mary, William Spring all settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1634; Joan Spring and her husband Robert settled in Virginia in 1653.
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: Non mihi sed patriae
Motto Translation: Not for myself, but for my country.
- 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)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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England
Ireland
