| ![Show Contents]() Parkhirst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient roots of the Parkhirst family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Parkhirst comes from when the family lived in the region of Parkhurst or wood in the park. Parkhirst is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Parkhirst familyThe surname Parkhirst was first found in Herefordshire where Sir Osbern Pentecost (died 1054), a Norman knight who followed Edward the Confessor to England built the castle at Ewyas, one of the first Motte and Bailey structures in England. He like many other Normans was banished from England so he secured safe passage to Scotland in 1052 but was later killed at the Battle of Dunsinane. "The Bishops of Exeter held Ashburton, [Devon] until it was assumed by the Crown under James I., and subsequently sold in moieties to Sir Robert Parkhurst and the Earl of Feversham. " 1 Early History of the Parkhirst familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parkhirst research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1560, 1569, 1574, 1603, 1625, 1635, 1636, 1651, 1659, 1674, 1743, 1797 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Parkhirst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Parkhirst Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Parkhirst has appeared include Parkhurst, Pankhurst and others. Early Notables of the Parkhirst familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Emily Pankhurst, Suffragette; John Parkhurst (c. 1511-1574), an English Marian exile and later Bishop of Norwich in 1560; Sir Robert Parkhurst (c.1569-1636), an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parkhirst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Parkhirst familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Parkhirst arrived in North America very early: Anthony Parkhurst settled in Virginia in 1635; George Parkhurst settled in New England in 1630; John Parkhurst settled in Maryland in 1774.
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
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