Tonks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tonks family

The surname Tonks was first found in Nottingham where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor, some say, about the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. One of the first on record was Sir Walter Tonkes or Tonke who lived in 1250 in Nottingham.

Early History of the Tonks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tonks research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1771 is included under the topic Early Tonks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tonks Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tonks, Tonk, Tonke, Toncks, Tonckes, Tonck and others.

Early Notables of the Tonks family

More information is included under the topic Early Tonks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tonks migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tonks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Tonks, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1871 1

Tonks migration to Australia +

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

Tonks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Tonks who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dick" on 2nd October 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
William Tonks, aged 30, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Navarino" 3
Mr. Henry Tonks, English convict who was convicted in Birmingham, England for 8 years, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia

Tonks 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:

Tonks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Enoch Tonks, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Birman"
G Tonks, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Birman"
W Tonks, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Birman
William Tonks, aged 35, a miner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Jane Tonks, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tonks (post 1700) +

Oliver Samuel Tonks Ph.D. (1874-1953), American professor of art at Vassar College
Lewi Tonks (1897-1971), American quantum physicist especially known for the discovery of the Tonks-Girardeau gas
Leslie "Les" Tonks (1942-2017), English professional rugby league footballer
The Rt Rev Horace Norman Vincent Tonks (1891-1959), English Anglican clergyman, Bishop of the Windward Islands (1936-1949)
Charles Frederick Tonks MBE (1881-1957), English Anglican priest, Archdeacon of Croydon (1948-1957)
Antony Tonks (b. 1985), English rugby league player
Henry Tonks (1862-1937), English surgeon who later became an artist and influential art teacher
Captain Adrian James Boswell Tonks (1898-1919), British World War I flying ace, credited with 12 official aerial victories
Benjamin Tonks (1832-1884), New Zealand politician, Mayor of Auckland City (1875-1876)
Richard "Dick" William Tonks MNZM (b. 1951), New Zealand silver medalist rower at the 1972 Summer Olympics
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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 8th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Dick
South Australian Register Friday 22nd February 1856. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Navarino 1856. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/navarino1856.shtml