Montepinsynd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Montepinsynd is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Montepinsynd family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is a reference to Mont-Pincon, in Calvados, in the arrondissement of Lisieieux, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Early Origins of the Montepinsynd family

The surname Montepinsynd was first found in Devon where they held a family seat anciently as Lords of the Manor. The name originally was the Norman Mont-pincon or pincun from the barony and castle in Normandy.

Ralf de Montpincon was the Norman noble dapifer who was granted lands in Devon for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Meanwhile in Normandy, the head of the family, Hugh de Monte Pincon held the service of three knights from Montpincon Castle in 1172.

Migration of the family from Normandy to England continued for centuries as seen by Richard Pynson (died 1530) who was a Norman by birth, but was naturalized on 26 July 1513. He became a printer in London. "From his method of working it is clear that he learnt the art in Normandy, probably in the office of Guillaume le Talleur." 1

Burton Pynsent House is a historic country-house in the parish of Curry Rivel, Somerset. It was built in 1765 for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, after he inherited the estate from Sir William Pynsent (1642-1719.) "It was the property of Sir William Pynsent, Bart., and, with other estates, was left by him to the great Earl of Chatham, in testimony of respect for his character." 2 Pynsent Column stands on Troy Hill, a spur of high ground about 700 m north-east of the house.

Early History of the Montepinsynd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Montepinsynd research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1642, 1679, 1689, 1719, 1765, 1790, 1818, 1850, 1859 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Montepinsynd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Montepinsynd Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Pinson, Pincon, Pinsent, Pensent, Pensons, Pinsons, Pinser, Pincer, Poinson, Poincon, Pynson, MontPinson, Montpinson, Mountpinzo, Mompesson, Pinsun, Montepinson, Montepesson, Montepinsun and many more.

Early Notables of the Montepinsynd family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Pynsent or Pinsent, 1st Baronet (1642-1719), of Urchfont, Wiltshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Devizes in 1689; and his son, Sir William Pynsent, 2nd Baronet (c.1679-1765), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Taunton, unfortunately the title...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Montepinsynd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Montepinsynd family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Montepinsynd or a variant listed above: William Pinsen who settled in Virginia in 1623; Joseph Pinson who settled in Virginia in 1663; Roger Pinson settled in Jamaica in 1665; Samuel Pinson settled in Barbados in 1685.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.