Margesson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Margesson family name to the British Isles. They lived in Sussex. Their name, however, is thought to be derived from a location in Normandy called Argenson, which would have been used as a name in its local form, D'Argenson, meaning from Argenson. The location, however, like many small settlements of the time, has been lost to the map in contemporary times. It is likely that the M now appears as the first letter of the name in most cases due to confusion with the similar metronymic name meaning son of Margaret. 1

Early Origins of the Margesson family

The surname Margesson was first found in West Sussex where the family held estates in Offington. One source claims "John D'Argenson, living in 1449, had two sons, one of whom fought at the battle of Pavia, in 1524, and the other, Peter D'Argenson, was founder of the English branch. The Margetsons of Yorkshire sprang from that personage, which may well admit of question, for certainly D'Argenson and Margetson are not much alike." 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Robert Marjorison; Richard Marjorison; and Roger Margeryson. 1

Early History of the Margesson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Margesson research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1633, 1635, 1637, 1663 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Margesson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Margesson 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 Margesson, Margeson, Margerison, Margetson and many more.

Early Notables of the Margesson family

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

Migration of the Margesson family to Ireland

Some of the Margesson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Margesson migration to the United States +

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 Margesson or a variant listed above were:

Margesson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edmund Margesson, (d. 1621), who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 aboard the "Mayflower" 3

Margesson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry David Regd. Margesson, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Birmingham, England, in 1910
Reginald Margesson, aged 46, who settled in America from Uckfield, England, in 1910
Rose Margesson, aged 41, who landed in America from Uckfield, England, in 1910
Philip Alexander Margesson, aged 55, who landed in America from Otaki Wellington, New Zeland, in 1920
David Margesson, aged 30, who immigrated to America from London, England, in 1921
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Margesson (post 1700) +

Henry David Reginald Margesson PC (1890-1965), 1st Viscount Margesson, British Conservative politician
Francis Vere Hampden Margesson (b. 1922), 2nd Viscount Margesson

The Margesson 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: Loyalité me lie
Motto Translation: Loyality binds me.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)