Dunscombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Dunscombe name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Dunscombe was originally derived from a family having lived in the village of Duncombe, in Durham. There is also a Duncombe in Lancashire which is in the north country too. This local name was originally derived from the Old English word dun, which literally means hill. The second part of the name, comb was originally derived from the Old English word cumb, which refers to a short, straight valley. Therefore Duncombe was literally a hill in a short, straight valley. 1

Early Origins of the Dunscombe family

The surname Dunscombe was first found in Buckinghamshire where early records show Richard de Ingen held a barony in this shire since the Domesday Book. 2

"Duncombe or D'Engaine, [originated in] Engen or Ingen, near Boulogne, [Normandy, France]. Richard and William de Ingen accompanied the Conqueror. The former in 1086 held a barony in Buckinghamshire. Vitalis D'Ingen, his son, temp. Henry I., had Richard, who married a daughter of Alberic de Yer, Earl of Oxford, and was Baron of Blatherwick, Northamptonshire. His son, Richard D'Engaine, 1165, held in Buckinghamshire from Paganel of Dudley; and had, 1, Vitalis, ancestor of the Barons D'Engaine by writ, 1296; 2, Ralph D'Engaine (written Dungun or Dungeom in the Testa de Neville), 3 who held Holcombe, Oxford, and in 1253 as Ralph D'Ungun was Lord of Tingewick, Buckinghamshire." 4

From this latter reference, the name was listed as Dunguns, Dengaines, Dungems and then gradually was changed to Duncombe, the more popular spelling since the 16th century.

"The manor-house of Tangley [in Wonersh, Surrey], originally a hunting-box of King John's, was in 1585 converted into a residence for the family of Sir Francis Duncombe." 5

"The Duncombes of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the 16th and 17th centuries were gentry of note and position, whose names occur among the list of contributors to the fund collected at the time of the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Those of Bedfordshire lived at that time at Battlesden and other places, and served as sheriffs for the county. The Duncombes or Doncombes of Buckinghamshire lived in the 16th century at Great Brickell, Barliende, Wingrave, Dinton, and East Claidon." 6

Early History of the Dunscombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunscombe research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1622, 1648, 1672, 1676, 1685, 1687, 1690, 1695, 1698, 1702, 1707, 1708, 1711, 1718, 1747, 1763, 1769, 1797, 1800, 1807 and 1826 are included under the topic Early Dunscombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunscombe Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dunscombe include Duncombe, Duncome, Duncomb, Duncome, Dunscomb, Dunscombe, Duncumb and many more.

Early Notables of the Dunscombe family

Notables of the family at this time include

Stockerston Hall is a late-18th-century English country house in Leicestershire that was bought by Sir Charles Dunscombe in about 1685 from Sir Thomas Burton. He demolished the old manor house in abou...

Dunscombe migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Dunscombe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sadie Dunscombe, aged 10, arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Aurania (1883)" from Liverpool, England 7

Dunscombe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Elizabeth Dunscombe, aged 28, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Bermudian" from Bermuda 7
Duncan Dunscombe, aged 7, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 7
Kenneth Dunscombe, aged 39, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Charybdis" from Hamilton, Bermuda 7
Walter Dunscombe, originally from Southampton, England, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Southampton, England 7

Dunscombe migration to Australia +

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

Dunscombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Dunscombe, aged 34, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "John Banks" 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunscombe (post 1700) +

John William Dunscombe (1804-1891), Newfoundland merchant and politician who represented Beauharnois in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1841 to 1842, son of John Dunscombe
John Dunscombe (1777-1847), Bermuda-born, Newfoundland merchant and politician, Member of the Executive Council for Newfoundland from 1833 to 1842
Graham Dunscombe (b. 1924), Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne in 1947

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
South Australian Register Wednesday 30th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) John Banks 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/johnbanks1855.shtml