Tollemache History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Tollemache goes back those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain. Such a name was given to a person who habitually wore a knapsack or other type of pack carried on the back. The surname Tollemache is derived from the Old French word talemache, which means knapsack. Nickname surnames often referred to the bearer's favored style of clothing.

Alternatively, this Norman name could have literally meant "totting of the bell." 1

Early Origins of the Tollemache family

The surname Tollemache was first found in Suffolk where, according to Doctor Bosworth, they were amongst the first Angles that settled in Suffolk. On their manor house at Bentley, near Ipswich there was the following inscription "Before the Normans into England came, Bentley was my seat, and Tollemache was my name." 2 3

Early History of the Tollemache family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tollemache research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1611, 1624, 1651, 1669, 1694 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Tollemache History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tollemache Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Tollemache family name include Talmach, Talmage, Talmash, Tammadge, Tammage, Tallemach, Tollemache, Tolmage and many more.

Early Notables of the Tollemache family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Lionel Tollemache (1624-1669), 3rd Baronet of Helmingham was the head of a powerful East Anglian family whose seat was Helmingham Hall in Suffolk

Tollemache 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:

Tollemache Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Algernon Gray Tollemache, aged 48, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Tollemache (post 1700) +

Sir Humphrey Tollemache,
The Reverend Ralph William Lyonel Tollemache MA, JP (1826-1895), British clergyman in the Church of England
Timothy John Edward Tollemache (b. 1939), 5th Baron Tollemache
Baron Wilbraham Frederic Tollemache (1832-1904), British Conservative Member of Parliament
Baron John Jervis Tollemache (1805-1890), British Conservative Member of Parliament

The Tollemache 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: Confido conquiesco
Motto Translation: I trust and am contented.

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.