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Origins Available: |
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The name Monkus reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Monkus family lived in Northumberland. Monkhouse is one of several names that find their roots in the Anglo-Saxon terms munec, meaning monk, and hus, meaning house. It may be either local or occupational in origin, signifying worker at the monk's house in some instances and dweller at the monk's house in others. The surname may have also been used to identify one who hailed from any of several places in England called Monkhouse. In some cases the name may also be an Anglicized version of the Norman local surname Monceaux.
The surname Monkus was first found in Northumberland where the "surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the monk-house,' i.e. the house where the monk or monks resided." 1 2.
One of the first records of the family was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Rogerus del Munkhous. Later the Wills at Chester listed Thomas Munkas, of Chorlton, Manchester in 1660. 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Monkus research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1290 is included under the topic Early Monkus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Monkus family name include Monkhouse, Monckhouse, Monkhowse and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Monkus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Monkus family to immigrate North America: Jane Monkhouse, who arrived in Virginia in 1765; Wm. Monkhouse, who came to Philadelphia in 1805; and James Monkhouse, who came to San Francisco in 1851..