Mowen History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Mowen was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Mowen family lived in Kent. The name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Moion, near St. Lo, Normandy, "where the site of their castle is still to be seen. Wace tells us that 'old William de Moion had with him many companions' and the battle of Hastings, and one of Leland's rolls of the Norman conquerors is nothing but a list of those who came in the train of 'Monseir William de Moion le Veil, le plus noble de tout l'ouste." 1 Early Origins of the Mowen familyThe surname Mowen was first found in Kent where they held a family seat at Maidstone in that shire. They were descended from Guillaume (William) de Moyon a Norman Baron whose seat was at the castle of Moion, near St. Lo in Normandy. 2 William de Moyon received large grants of land in Somerset, the Lordship of Clehangre in Devon, and Sutton in Wiltshire. He also had grants in Kent. From William was descended the first Earl of Somerset, the Earls of Dorset and the Barons of Okehampton. "At the period of the Conquest, this town [now called Minehead], then called Manheved, was given by William [the Conqueror] to William de Mohun." 3 Although the main stem of this very noble Norman family retained the various spellings of Munn or Munns, junior lines adopted the name Munson or Munnings. The same William de Mohun (Moyon) held estates in Dunster, Somerset. "The town, which is called Torre in Domesday Book, owes its origin to a baronial castle built here by William de Mohun, a Norman Baron, on whom the Conqueror had bestowed large estates in this part of the kingdom. The castle, which was held by the family of Mohun till the reign of Edward III., was the scene of hostilities in the civil wars of the reigns of Stephen and John, and in the contests between the houses of York and Lancaster; the Marquess of Hertford, also, took possession of it for Charles I. during the war with the parliament." 3 "Rosteage, [in the parish of Gerrans, Cornwall] in the reign of Elizabeth, was the seat of Reginald Mohun, a captain under Sir Walter Raleigh. In this family it continued until the year 1662, when it was purchased by Nicholas Kempe, Esq." 4 Early History of the Mowen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mowen research. Another 260 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1400, 1508, 1564, 1568, 1571, 1573, 1579, 1587, 1595, 1603, 1610, 1615, 1616, 1618, 1620, 1625, 1626, 1641, 1642, 1645, 1665, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1692, 1712, 1718 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mowen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mowen Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Mowen has been recorded under many different variations, including Moyon, Moion, Mohun, Moyne, Munn, Munns, Munson, Munton, Mwn, Mun, Munds, Mouns, Muns, Munnes, Munnson, Munnsen, Munning and many more. Early Notables of the Mowen familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Reginald Mohun, 1st Baronet (ca.1603-1642), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1625 and 1626; John Mohun, 1st Baron Mohun of Okehampton (1595-1641), an English politician; Warwick Mohun, 2nd Baron Mohun of Okehampton (1620-1665), an English politician; Michael Mohun (1616?-1684), a... Mowen RankingIn the United States, the name Mowen is the 15,112nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 Migration of the Mowen family to IrelandSome of the Mowen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Mowen familyTo escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Mowens were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: William Munnes arrived in Virginia in 1619; a year before the Mayflower; HolliBerry Munn settled in Barbados in 1654; Thomas Munns settled in the Bahamas in 1679 with his servants.
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: Omnia vincit veritas Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.
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