Quend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Quend was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from St. Quinton, a third century missionary in Gaul. 1 Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries.

"A family of Quentin - the Quentins of Coupigny - still exists in Normandy. They came from Brittany, having expatriated themselves during the troublous times of Duchess Anne, and settled at Morigny, near Coutances, about 1450. Roger Quentin's claim to rank with the older nobility of the Duchy was recognized and confirmed in 1605 by the Cour des Aides of Rouen." 2

Harpham in the East Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient home for the family. "The church is the burial-place of the family of St. Quintin, whose founder came over with the Conqueror; their pedigree, from 1080 to 1777, showing an uninterrupted succession of twenty-eight generations in the male line, is beautifully represented in stained glass in the windows. On the western side of the churchyard are vestiges of the ancient family mansion and fish-ponds." 3

Early Origins of the Quend family

The surname Quend was first found in Cumberland where "the first trace of the name that I have met with is in the reign of Coeur de Lion, when Richard de Quintine was Abbot of Furness in Cumberland. But the notices of it soon become numerous, and appear in at least half a dozen counties. Richard Quintin held a knight's fee of the Earl of Hereford in Wiltshire." 2

So as to underscore the Norman heritage of this name we found: "Sir Herbert de St. Quintin, whose name appears on the Roll [of Battle Abbey], came from Lower Picardy, where the chief town is called St. Quintin." 4

Branches were later found in Essex and Dorset. Another branch of the family was found in the parish of Hornby in the North Riding of Yorkshire from ancient times.

"Hornby Castle, anciently the seat of the family of St. Quintin, and now belonging to his Grace the Duke of Leeds, is a spacious mansion in different styles of architecture, containing superb apartments, and commanding a fine view of the valley of Bedale." 3

Another early branch of the family was found at Lowthorp in the East Riding of Yorkshire. At one time an ancient hall there was held by the family but was taken down in 1826. 3

"Quentin became a somewhat popular personal name in Scotland, and has been immortalized by Walter Scott." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had entries for: Richard Quintine, Wiltshire; John de St. Quintino, Wiltshire; Adam Quintin, Huntingdonshire; and Robert Quintyn, Norfolk. 5

Early History of the Quend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quend research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1660, 1695, 1698 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Quend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quend 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 Quinton, Quinten, Quintin, Quintyne, St. Quinton and others.

Early Notables of the Quend family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William St. Quinton (ca. 1660-1723), English politician, born at Harpham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He was the eldest son of William St. Quintin, who died in the lifetime of his father. "Having succeeded his...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Quend family

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 Quend or a variant listed above were: Jean Quintin settled in Quebec with his wife Jeanne Delpué in 1695; Henry and Richard Quintyne settled in Barbados in 1679; William Quinton, a servant in Battle Harbour, Newfoundland, in 1795.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)