Gascoyne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Gascoyne is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gascoyne family lived in Yorkshire. Their name, however, is not a reference to this place, but to the family's place of residence prior their emigration to England, Gascony, a French province which was occupied by the English from 1152 until 1453.
The family was "a native of Gascony, the French province, which being in the possession of England, during a portion of the XIV. cent., supplied this country with many new families and names. The heads of the family were all Williams, the courageous Chief-Justice who sent Prince Henry to prison being one." 1
The surname was introduced to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, as was the wine for which the area was known. Geoffery Chaucer's Old English poem Piers Plowman makes reference to "reed wyn of Gascoigne."
Early Origins of the Gascoyne family
The surname Gascoyne was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire as Saxton, a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. "The parish comprises by computation 4030 acres, and is chiefly the property of the daughters and co-heiresses of R. O. Gascoigne, Esq." 2
"The Gascoignes were for many generations settled at Gawthorpe in Yorkshire, where their old hall stood by the side of the lake, about two hundred yards south of Lord Harewood's present house. It had come to them early in the fourteenth century, through the marriage of William Gascoigne with its heiress, Mansild de Gawkethorp." 3
Indeed, the family produced a long list of notables dating back to 1026 in Northumberland where Bernard Gascon was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1206. Two years later, William le Gascum was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1208. 4
From these earliest listings the family spread throughout ancient Britain including: Philip le Gascoyn in Shropshire in 1266. The Hundredorum Rolls has two listings: Peter Gascoying in Devon in 1274; and Geoffrey Gascoyne, in Norfolk in 1275. 4
"In the 15th century and later, Gascon occurs as Gaskin, Gascogne, Gascoigne, which some believe may be due to the influence of Gascogne 'Gascony'. Some of the above forms are certainly from the adjective." 4
Other early listings include: Robert de Gascoin, Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243; Nicholas de Gascoigne in 1340; and William Gascoigne in the Feet of Fines in 1389. Johannes Gascone was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls in 1379. 5
Early History of the Gascoyne family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gascoyne research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1381, 1404, 1419, 1458, 1507, 1514, 1516, 1525, 1535, 1537, 1558, 1572, 1577, 1579, 1593, 1596, 1602, 1610, 1614, 1623, 1637, 1644, 1659, 1661, 1662, 1686, 1687, 1698, 1716, 1718, 1723 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Gascoyne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gascoyne 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. Gascoyne has been recorded under many different variations, including Gascoigne, Gascoyne, Gascoine, Gascoin, Gaskoyne and others.
Early Notables of the Gascoyne family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Gascoigne (c.1350-1419), Chief Justice of England during the reign of King Henry IV, eldest son of William Gascoigne, by Agnes, daughter of Nicholas Frank, was born at Gawthorpe, Yorkshire; Thomas Gascoigne (1404-1458), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University; John Gascoigne (fl. 1381), an English lawyer and author; George Gascoigne (c. 1535-1577), an English poet, soldier and unsuccessful courtier; John Gascoigne (c.1537-1602), of Parlington, Yorkshire, an English...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gascoyne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gascoyne family to Ireland
Some of the Gascoyne 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.
Gascoyne 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. Gascoynes were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:
Gascoyne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Savill Gascoyne, aged 29, who landed in Virginia in 1635 6
- Edward Gascoyne, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1639 6
Gascoyne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Thomas Gascoyne, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Gascoyne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Isabella Gascoyne, who settled in New York State in 1845
- Herbert Gascoyne, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1893
Gascoyne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Charles Gascoyne, aged 16, who settled in America from Abbeylein, in 1900
- Fanny Gascoyne, aged 55, who settled in America from Abbeylein, in 1900
- Doris Gascoyne, aged 8, who landed in America from Sheffield, England, in 1910
- Alice Gascoyne, aged 6, who landed in America from Sheffield, England, in 1910
- Kate Gascoyne, aged 34, who landed in America from Sheffield, England, in 1910
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gascoyne 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:
Gascoyne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- H. M. Gascoyne, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golconda" in 1859
Gascoyne migration to West Indies +
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association.
7Gascoyne Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
- Stephen Gascoyne, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants
Contemporary Notables of the name Gascoyne (post 1700) +
- Second Lieutenant James Victor Gascoyne (1892-1976), English World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories
- Sir Crisp Gascoyne (1700-1761), English businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of London, father of Bamber Goscoyne, the Elder
- Christopher "Chris" Gascoyne (b. 1968), English actor from Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, best known for his portrayal of Peter Barlow in Coronation Street
- David Gascoyne (1916-2001), English poet associated with the Surrealist movement
- Bamber Gascoyne Sr. (1725-1791), of Childwall Hall, Lancashire, an English politician, Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty (1779-1782)
- Thomas Jepson Gascoyne (1876-1917), English professional cycling champion and world record holder
- Michael "Mike" Gascoyne (b. 1963), English designer of Formula One cars from Norwich
- Captain John Gascoyne RN, son of Bamber Gascoyne Sr, eponym of Gascoyne River, the longest river in Western Australia, HMAS Gascoyne (K354) and HMAS Gascoyne (M 85)
- Isaac Gascoyne (1763-1841), British Army officer and Tory politician, Member of Parliament for Liverpool (1801-1831) and (1796-1800)
- Bamber Gascoyne Jr. (1758-1824), British politician, Member of Parliament for Liverpool (1780 to 1796)
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies