Show ContentsDuncalf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Duncalf reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Duncalf family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Duncalf family lived in Yorkshire. One reference suggests that the name could be derived from the local at the dun-croft but this is only speculation.

Early Origins of the Duncalf family

The surname Duncalf was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, where conjecturally this family is descended on the male side from Drogo de Beuvriere, a Norman knight, who held the village of Ottringham from the Archbishop of York. Drogo was originally granted the castle of Skipsey and was said to have married a kinswoman of William the Conqueror who he killed in 1086, either by accident or design. He fled the country leaving only his descendants on estates in Yorkshire.

Early History of the Duncalf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duncalf research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duncalf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duncalf Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Duncalfe, Duncalf and others.

Early Notables of the Duncalf family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Duncalfe of Cheshire


Australia Duncalf migration to Australia +

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

Duncalf Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Margaret Duncalf, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cressy" in 1847 [1]
  • Mr. Richard Duncalf, (b. 1822), aged 30, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth in April 1852 aboard the ship "Augusta Schneider" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1852 [2]
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Duncalf, (b. 1826), aged 26, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth in April 1852 aboard the ship "Augusta Schneider" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1852 [2]
  • Mr. John Duncalf, (b. 1849), aged 3, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth in April 1852 aboard the ship "Augusta Schneider" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1852 [2]
  • Miss Elizabeth Duncalf, (b. 1845), aged 7, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth in April 1852 aboard the ship "Augusta Schneider" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1852 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Duncalf (post 1700) +

  • Jennifer Duncalf (b. 1982), English gold and six-time silver medalist squash player
  • Deryck Duncalf, English Anesthesiologist from Yorkshire, Director of Anesthesiology in New York's Albert Einstein College

HMS Royal Oak
  • Thomas Duncalf (1910-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking [3]


  1. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CRESSY 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Cressy.htm
  2. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  3. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html


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