Lanchaster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Lanchaster is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Lanchaster family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Lanchaster family lived in the city of Lancaster, in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Lanchaster family

The surname Lanchaster was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat as Constables of Lancaster Castle from very ancient times. One of the first records of the family was found in Litherland, one of the ancient manors of Aughton. "About the middle of the twelfth century it was granted to Warin de Lancaster, chief forester, by the serjeanty of keeping the lord's falcons." 1

The chapelry of Milburn, Westmorland is also of significance to the family in early times. "The chapel, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, was founded by William de Lancaster, about 1355. Many vestiges of encampments are visible. Howgill Castle, formerly the seat of the knightly families of Lancaster and Sandford, and which, with Grange Hall and Lownthwaite, belongs to the Earl of Thanet, lord of the manor, occupies a commanding situation, half a mile east of the village; some of its walls are 10½ feet thick." 2

Early History of the Lanchaster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanchaster research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1068, 1070, 1114, 1150, 1334, 1618, 1650 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Lanchaster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanchaster Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancester, Lancoster, Lancastell and many more.

Early Notables of the Lanchaster family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lanchaster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lanchaster family to Ireland

Some of the Lanchaster family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lanchaster family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Lanchaster or a variant listed above: Gowen Lancaster arrived in Virginia in 1635; Phillip Lancaster arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his servants; William Lancaster settled in Barbados in 1668.

Citations +

'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].
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.