Lurch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Lurch came to England with the ancestors of the Lurch family in the Norman Conquest in 1066. The surname Lurch is for a bowman or archer. The surname Lurch was originally derived from the Old French word archer, and the preposition le, which means the, which is abbreviated to l' when placed next to a vowel, as in l'archer.

Early Origins of the Lurch family

The surname Lurch was first found in Derbyshire and Nottingham, where they were granted lands by King William, Duke of Normandy, for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. William L'Archairus, was General of bowmen for Duke William, and he was granted the Hundred of Sunburne in Hampshire in the year 1086. He was so recorded in the Domesday Book. Both William L'Archer and his son were, according to Barlow, and his "Peerage of England," at the Conquest.

Early History of the Lurch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lurch research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1778 is included under the topic Early Lurch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lurch Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Larcher, Lercher, Lurcher, Larchier and others.

Early Notables of the Lurch family

More information is included under the topic Early Lurch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lurch family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Lurch or a variant listed above were: Joseph Larcher who landed in North America in 1771.

The Lurch 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: Sola bona quae honesta
Motto Translation: Those things only are good which are honest.