Lanchester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Lanchester is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Lanchester family lived in the city of Lancaster, in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Lanchester family

The surname Lanchester 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 Lanchester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanchester 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 Lanchester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanchester Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Lanchester family name include Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancester, Lancoster, Lancastell and many more.

Early Notables of the Lanchester family

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

Migration of the Lanchester family to Ireland

Some of the Lanchester 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 Lanchester family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Lanchester family to immigrate North America: Gowen Lancaster arrived in Virginia in 1635; Phillip Lancaster arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his servants; William Lancaster settled in Barbados in 1668.

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanchester (post 1700) +

Frederick William Lanchester (1868-1946), English polymath and engineer who made important contributions to automotive engineering, aerodynamics and co-invented the field of operations research, founder of Lanchester Motor Company
Elsa Lanchester (1902-1986), Oscar-nominated English character actress who appeared in the films "Bride of Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," and many others during a long career
Henry Lanchester, British distinguished architect
John Lanchester (b. 1962), British journalist and novelist
William Lanchester Fredericks (1868-1946), English polymath and engineer

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.