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Edgecombe History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Edgecombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Edgecombe date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence at the edge of the valley. The surname Edgecombe originally derived from the Old English word Eggcombe. The surname Edgecombe is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Edgecombe family

The surname Edgecombe was first found in Devon where the original ancestor Richard Edgcumbe was Lord of Edgecumbe in 1292. 1 "In the reign of Edward III, William Edgcumbe, second son of the house of Edgcumbe, having married the heiress of Cotehele, in the parish of Calstock, removed into Cornwall, and was the ancestor of the Edgcumbes of Cotehele and Mount Edgcumbe, Earls of Mount Edgcumbe (1789)" 1

"Milton Abbot contains the lovely Devonshire seat of the Dukes of Bedford Endsleigh. Edgcumbe, here, is the original home of the family of Edgcumbe, and has continued in the possession of the elder branch from the reign of Edward III. The younger branch is ennobled as Earls Mount Edgcumbe. " 2

"Mount-Edgcumbe House, [in Maker, south-east Cornwall] the noble seat of the Edgcumbe family, and from which its representative derives the title of Earl, was originally built in the reign of Mary, and, with the exception only of Salcombe, was the last garrison that held out for Charles I.; it occupies an elevated site, commanding an extensive prospect, and its domain presents a variety of beautiful scenery." 3 It was built by Sir Richard Edgcumbe between 1547 and 1553 and later destroyed during World War II but was restored in the late 1950s.

Calstock in Cornwall was another ancient home of the family. "This singular mansion is delightfully situated on the banks of the Tamar, which winds along the vale, the sides of which are covered with luxuriant fertility. This place gave name to a very ancient family, that became extinct in the male line so early as the reign of Edward III. The heiress of this family was afterwards married to "William de Eggecombe," who fixed his residence at Cotehele. The present house was built by Sir Richard Edgcumbe in the reign of Henry VII. ; and from its high state of preservation, it exhibits to the curious a fine specimen of a mansion house of that age." 4

Early History of the Edgecombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edgecombe research. Another 264 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1489, 1493, 1494, 1497, 1499, 1513, 1536, 1540, 1562, 1563, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1608, 1609, 1629, 1639, 1640, 1661, 1667, 1679, 1681, 1688 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Edgecombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edgecombe Spelling Variations

Edgecombe has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Edgecombe have been found, including Edgecombe, Edgecomb, Edgecumb, Edgecumbe and others.

Early Notables of the Edgecombe family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Richard Edgecombe (c. 1540-1587), of Cotehele, Cornwall, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Totnes in 1563

Edgecombe migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Edgecombes to arrive on North American shores:

Edgecombe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Edgecombe, who arrived in New England in 1658 5
Miles Edgecombe who brought his wife and children to New England in 1676
Miles Edgecombe, who landed in New England in 1676 5

Edgecombe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Arthur Edgecombe, who landed in Georgia in 1733 5
George Edgecombe, who arrived in America in 1774 5

Edgecombe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Mary Edgecombe, (b. 1843), aged 60, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th June 1903 en route to Salix, Iowa, USA 6
Mr. William Edgecombe, (b. 1840), aged 63, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th June 1903 en route to Salix, Iowa, USA 6

Edgecombe migration to Australia +

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

Edgecombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edwin Bennett Edgecombe, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1839 7
Ebenezer Samuel Edgecombe, aged 24, a tailor, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Mary Green" 8
Mr. John Edgecombe, Cornish stonecutter, from St. Clement, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Rajastan" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th January 1855 9
William Edgecombe, aged 43, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Storm Cloud"
George Edgecombe, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Storm Cloud"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Edgecombe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Edgecombe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Edgecombe, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Amelia Thompson
William Edgecombe, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Amelia Thompson

The Edgecombe 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: Au playsir fort de dieu
Motto Translation: In high-pleasure of God

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Hooghly.htm
South Australian Register Monday 20 June 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARY GREEN 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marygreen1853.shtml
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf