Dark History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Dark was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dark family lived in Kent. The family was originally from De Arques, from the Castle of Arques, near Dieppe. "William de Arcis, his son, in 1086 held estates from Odo of Bayeux and Lafranc in Kent, and in Suffolk from Bernard de StAudoen, and Robert Malet." 1 Early Origins of the Dark familyThe surname Dark was first found in Kent where William d'Arques was Lord of Folkestone in that shire, having been granted lands by William the Conqueror for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. William d'Arques was descended from the Vicomtes of Arques who held a castle four or five miles from Dieppe in Normandy. "This name, which is not uncommon in the West of England, is probably identical with the De Arcis, of Domesday Book. William d'Arques, or de Arcis, was lord of Folkestone, co. Kent, temp. William I., having Bettled in England after the Norman Conquest. His ancestors were vicomtes of Arques, now a bourg and castle, four or five miles from Dieppe in Normandy." 2 Scanning through other early rolls revealed Juelina de Arches in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1201 and William de Arches c. 1150. 3 The parish of Melonsby in the North Riding of Yorkshire hold clues to an ancient origin there. "The Benedictine nunnery, was founded in the latter part of the reign of Stephen, or the earlier part of that of Henry II., by Roger D'Ark, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary." 4 Little is known of this branch of the family other that this entry and to date we can find no birth or death record for this individual. Further to the north, "Hubert de Arches occurs in Scotland 1165-1214." 1 This entry is collaborated but with different dates, "Herbert de Arches witnessed a charter of the lands of Lesslyn (Leslie) to Malcolm filius Bartholf (c. 1171-1199.) Gilbertus de Arches witnessed confirmation of sale of the land of Scrogges to the church of Glasgow (c. 1208-1213.) Perhaps from Arques near Dieppe." 5 Early History of the Dark familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dark research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1141, 1221, 1229, 1740, 1760 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Dark History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dark Spelling VariationsEndless 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 Dark, Darke, Darque and others. Early Notables of the Dark familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was
Dark RankingIn the United States, the name Dark is the 9,044th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6
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 Dark or a variant listed above: Dark Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Dark Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
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