Winche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Winche family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Bedfordshire, at Winch. The name was originally derived from the Old English word winch, meaning sharp bend in the river.

Early Origins of the Winche family

The surname Winche was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Haynes. Conjecturally they are descended from Hugh de Beauchamp who occupied those lands at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a census initiated by William the Conqueror in 1086 after his Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Winche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winche research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1582, 1590, 1608, 1611, 1616, 1622, 1625, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1667, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1689 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Winche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winche Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Winche has been recorded under many different variations, including Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.

Early Notables of the Winche family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Humphrey Winch (1555-1625), an English judge from Bedfordshire, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (1608-1611) who had a distinguished career in Ireland and England, but whose reputation was seriously damaged by the Leicester witch trials of 1616. He was...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winche family to Ireland

Some of the Winche 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.

Winche migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Winches were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Winche Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Winche, aged 15, who landed in New England aboard the ship "Francis", bound for Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1634 2

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)