Penrice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The origins of the Welsh name Penrice go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Penrice once lived in or near either the manor of Pen-rhys in the county of Glamorgan, or in one of the places called Penrose in Cornwall or Devon. 1 2 The surname Penrice belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Early Origins of the Penrice family
The surname Penrice was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing. Penrice Castle is a castle near Penrice, Swansea on the Gower Peninsula, Wales.
Later, some of the family were found in Worcestershire: "The old Worcestershire family of Penrice resided in the parish of Crowle in the first half of the 17th century; the name was probably taken from Penrice, a manor and castle in Glamorganshire. " 3
The Cornish branch may be related to the surname Penrose as the name Penrice and Penrose were found there as early as the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 4
Early History of the Penrice family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Penrice research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1692, 1777 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Penrice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Penrice Spelling Variations
There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Penrice have included Penrice, Penrise and others.
Early Notables of the Penrice family
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was
- Thomas Penrice of Kivrough House, a gallant solder in the Peninsula campaign under the Duke of Wellington
Penrice migration to the United States +
During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Penrice:
Penrice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Penrice, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 5
- Robert Penrice, who landed in Maryland in 1675 5
Penrice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Lawrence Penrice, who settled in Virginia in 1751
Penrice Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Thomas Henry Penrice, aged 29, originally from Crosby Maryport, England, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Liverpool, England 6
- Joseph Sim Penrice, aged 22, originally from Crosby Maryport, England, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Liverpool, England 6
- Ella Penrice, aged 47, originally from Roets Ferry, England, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 6
- Oscar Penrice, originally from Rock Ferry, Cheshire, arrived in New York, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Vasari" from Liverpool, England 6
- Alvan Penrice, aged 24, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Vestris" from Buenos Aires, Argentina 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Penrice (post 1700) +
- James Penrice, Scottish footballer who plays as a left back for East Fife (2016-)
- John Penrice Sr. (1787-1844), English captain in the King's 15th Hussars, father of Major John Penrice
- Major John Penrice (1818-1892), British soldier, photographer and the author of an English glossary of the Quran (1873); in 1820 he held Kilvrough Manor, a large country house near Swansea
- Gary Kenneth Penrice (b. 1964), English professional footballer
The Penrice Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Tuto et celeriter
Motto Translation: Safely and quickly.
Citations +
- Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result