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.
Early Origins of the Chaunce family
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.
Early History of the Chaunce family
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 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.
Early Notables of the Chaunce family (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.
Migration of the Chaunce family to the New World and Oceana
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