| ![Show Contents]() Colechester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of ColechesterWhat does the name Colechester mean? The Anglo-Saxon name Colechester comes from when the family resided in Colchester, in Essex. The family name is taken from the place-name. However, there are no records of anyone named Colchester in that county. There are scant records extant on this family; they first appear in London in the 17th century. However, there is little doubt that the name is derived from the place-name in Essex. Early Origins of the Colechester familyThe surname Colechester was first found in Essex at Colchester, a borough and market-town, in the Colchester division of the hundred of Lexden. "This place, which by some antiquaries is supposed to have been the Camalodunum of the Romans, derives its name either from its having been one of the Coloniæ established by that people in Britain, or from its situation on the river Colne. It was called by the Britons Caer Colun, and appears to have been a town of considerable importance prior to the invasion of the Romans." 1 However, we must look to Scotland to find the first listing of the family; for it is there that "William de Collecester, canon (probably of Holyrood), witnessed an Inchcolm charter, a. 1199. An Englishman, probably, from Colchester." 2 Peter d Colechurch (d. 1205), was "architect of old London Bridge, chaplain of St. Mary Colechurch. The first stone bridge over the Thames was begun by him in 1176. He died in 1205, and was buried in the chapel on the bridge dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury." 3 Early History of the Colechester familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colechester research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colechester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Colechester Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Colechester has been recorded under many different variations, including Colchester, Colechester and others. Early Notables of the Colechester familyMore information is included under the topic Early Colechester Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Colechester familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Colechester or a variant listed above: Anne Colchester who settled in Virginia in 1637 with her two sisters Jane and Joan.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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