Chaunce Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Chaunce came to England with the ancestors of the Chaunce family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Chaunce family lived in Essex. They were originally from Chansay, Normandy, and it is to their tenure of residence in this area that their name refers.

Chaunce Early Origins

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The surname Chaunce was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Chaunce Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Chance, Chancey, Chaunceur, Channsy, Channsey, Chauncey, Chancy and many more.

Chaunce Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaunce research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1592, 1672, 1654, 1632, 1712, 1632 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Chaunce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaunce Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Philip de Chauncy; and Charles Chauncy (1592-1672), English-born, American clergyman and educator from Yardleybury (Ardeley), Hertfordshire who became President of...

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chaunce Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Chaunce or a variant listed above:

Chaunce Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elin Chaunce, who settled in St. Christopher in 1635

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Citations

Other References

Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Crispin, M. Jackson and Leonce Mary. Falaise Roll Recording Prominent Companions of William Duke of Normandy at the Conquest of England. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.
Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of England and Wales. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1971. Print.
Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston Texas 1896-1951. National Archives Washington DC. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
Elster, Robert J. International Who's Who. London: Europa/Routledge. Print.
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The Chaunce Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Chaunce Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 1 November 2013 at 10:24.