| ![Show Contents]() Pendarves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The Pendarves history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Pendarves history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Pendarves family originally lived in Cornwall, in the ancient village of Pendarvey. Early Origins of the Pendarves familyThe surname Pendarves was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Camborne. Few early records of the family exist and it is not until about the year 1520 that we find Thomas Pendarves seated at Camborne. "Within [the Camborne Church] there are several memorials for the family of Pendarves. There is a bust of Sir William in armour, on the head of which is a flowing peruke." 1 "At Green Bank, or Dunstanville Terrace, the manor or reputed manor of Penwerris, in which it is situated, this being his lordship's property. This manor, with several other estates, he inherits from his grandmother, Mary Pendarves, by whose great uncle it had been purchased of the Killigrews, about the year 1660." 1 Early History of the Pendarves familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pendarves research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1622, 1637, 1656 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Pendarves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pendarves Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pendarves, Pendarvs, Pendarvus, Pentarves, Pentarvis and many more. Early Notables of the Pendarves familyNotable amongst the family at this time was - Sir William Pendarves of Cornwall
- John Pendarves (1622-1656), an English Puritan controversialist, son of John Pendarves of Crowan in Cornwall, admitted to Exeter College, Oxford in 1637
Migration of the Pendarves familyDiscovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Pendarves: Lawrence Pentarvis who landed in America in 1750.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Pendarves (post 1700) | + |
- Sir Arthur Pendarves Vivian (1834-1926), British politician, member of UK Parliament from Cornwall (1868-1885)
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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