Wynch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Wynch arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wynch family 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 Wynch family

The surname Wynch 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 Wynch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wynch 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 Wynch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wynch Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.

Early Notables of the Wynch 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 Wynch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wynch family to Ireland

Some of the Wynch 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.

Wynch migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wynch or a variant listed above:

Wynch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jeffery Wynch, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe" 2

Wynch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barba Wynch, aged 29, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Frank Haynie" in 1859 3
Catha Wynch, aged 23, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Wieland" in 1882 3
Robt Wynch, aged 30, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Scythia" in 1882 3
Bernard Wynch, aged 24, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Amsterdam" in 1889 3

Wynch Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Lionel M. Wynch, aged 74, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Queen Mary" in 1939 3
Violet H. Wynch, aged 59, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Queen Mary" in 1939 3
Beatrice M. Wynch, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Queen Mary" in 1939 3

Wynch migration to Australia +

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

Wynch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Wynch, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion