Toupes History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Toupes is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from the Old Danish personal name Topi. Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames. Early Origins of the Toupes familyThe surname Toupes was first found in Somerset, where the first records of the name are Robert Top and William Toppe, bother recorded there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 1 "The Dorset family of Topp probably belong to the ancient Wiltshire family of Topp, now extinct, that held the manor of Stockton in Wilts from before the Reformation until the close of last century, when it passed by marriage into the possession of Robert Balch, Esq., of St. Audries, Somerset." 2 "The manor of Killenick [at Land's End, Cornwall] belonged, in the reign of Richard II. to John Longeland and Lankford. This manor has been dismembered ; and it was sold in the year 1720, under a decree of chancery, in its divided state. Bosvargus, which was formerly a seat belonging to a family of that name, was at one time inherited by the learned Jonathan Toup, rector of St. Martin's, near Looe." 3 Some of the family were found in Scotland as "Edward Top admitted [was] burgess of Aberdeen, 1486 is doubtless the Edward Top who was fined in 1497 for 'failzeit in the waching of the tone.'" 4 Early History of the Toupes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toupes research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1580 and 1639 are included under the topic Early Toupes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Toupes Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Toupes has been spelled many different ways, including Toop, Toope, Tooppe, Toopes, Toup, Toupe, Tupe, Toowp and many more. Early Notables of the Toupes familyMore information is included under the topic Early Toupes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Toupes familyThousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Toupess to arrive in North America: Johanna Toop, who, at the age of 21; sailed to Jamaica in 1731; Henry Toopes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753; and John Toop, who settled in Maryland in 1823..
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