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Pownds is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pownds family lived in Hampshire. Their name, however, is a reference to the Old English word pound, meaning an enclosure where animals were kept, and indicates that the original bearer lived near such a structure.
The surname Pownds was first found in Hampshire where they were granted lands by Wiliam the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Drayton in that shire. Unfortunately the grant and details of the village and lands of Drayton, according to the Domesday Book taken in 1086 have been lost, and it is not possible to identify the residence at that time.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pownds research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1573, 1669, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1697, 1703 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Pownds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Pownd, Pownde, Pound, Pounds, Pounde, de la Pound and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was James Pound (1669-1724), English astronomer, was the son of John Pound, of Bishop's Canning, Wiltshire. He matriculated at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, on 16 March 1687; graduated B.A. from Hart Hall on 27 Feb. 1694, and M.A. from Gloucester Hall in the...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pownds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Pownds or a variant listed above: John Pound, who settled in Jamaica in 1665; Susanna Pound settled in Virginia in 1698; James Pound settled in Barbados in 1684; Edward Pound settled in Maryland in 1774.