Dones History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Dones family

The surname Dones was first found in Cheshire at Duddon, a township, in the parish of Tarvin, union of Great Boughton, Second division of the hundred of Eddisbury.

"The manor was for many generations in moieties between the families of Bruen and Done; the first passed, with Bruen-Stapleford, to Mr. Wilbraham, and the other with the Utkinton estate to Mr. Arden. Duddon Hall, which continued to be the seat of a younger branch of the Dones long after the extinction of the elder branch, is now a farmhouse." ^[1]

However, one of the first records of the family was John de Donne, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire from 1361 to 1362. ^[2]

John Donne (1572-1631), the famous English poet and cleric was born in London into a recusant Roman Catholic family when practice of that religion was illegal in England. His father was of Welsh descent and a warden of the Ironmongers Company in the City of London. Young John studied at the University of Cambridge, but was unable to obtain a degree because of his Catholicism. Despite these challenges, he rose to become one of the most important poets of his era and had to write anti-Catholic polemics to do so. Eventually he was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity from Cambridge University.

Early History of the Dones family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dones research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1527, 1552, 1821, 1572, 1631, 1614, 1420, 1503, 1558, 1572, 1631, 1621, 1631, 1604, 1662 and 1617 are included under the topic Early Dones History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dones Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Dones has been spelled many different ways, including Done, Donn, Donne, Doan, Doane, Doune and others.

Early Notables of the Dones family (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Donne (c.1420-1503), a Welsh courtier, diplomat and soldier, a notable figure of the Yorkist party; and Sir Charles Doune of Doune. Gabriel Donne or Dunne (d. 1558), was a Cistercian monk who belonged to the family of that name seated at Ralph Donue in Devonshire. ^[3] John Donne the Elder (1572-1631), was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. Born in London...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dones Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dones Ranking

In the United States, the name Dones is the 10,778^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. ^[4]

Dones migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dones Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Dones, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia ^[5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Dones (post 1700) +

Elvira Dones, Albanian novelist, screenwriter, and documentary film producer

The Dones Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnia mei dona Dei
Motto Translation: All my goods are the gift of God.

Citations +

^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
^ 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
^ Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
^ https://namecensus.com/most_common_surnames.htm
^ State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844