| ![Show Contents]() Wankforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Wankforth familyThe surname Wankforth was first found in Suffolk at Wangford (St. Peter), a parish in the union and hundred of Blything or at Wangford (St. Denis) another parish in the union of Mildenhall in the hundred of Lackford. 1 A census in the late 1800s, listed 818 inhabitants for Wangford (St. Peter) and only 46 inhabitants for Wangford (St. Denis.) Wangford dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Wankeforda and literally meant "ford by the open fields" from the Old English words wang + ford. 2 Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Wangford, held by Richard Fitzgilbert from the Abbot of St. Edmund's. 3 Early History of the Wankforth familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wankforth research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1327, 1497, 1586, 1592, 1593, 1621, 1624, 1629, 1637, 1640, 1655, 1656, 1665, 1684, 1707, 1710, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1726 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Wankforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wankforth Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Wangford, Wangforth, Wankforth, Wankford, Wangfurd, Wangforde, Wankforde, Wandsford, Wandesford, Wandisford, Wansford, Wainsford and many more. Early Notables of the Wankforth familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Christopher Wandesford (1592-1640), an English administrator and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1629, Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1629.His brother, John Wandesford (1593-1665) of Kirklington, Yorkshire was also an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1665.Christopher Wandesford, 1st Viscount Castlecomer (1656-1707) was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer. Christopher Wandesford...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wankforth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wankforth familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Wankforth or a variant listed above: settlers were recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Florida, and to the islands..
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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