Show ContentsQuested History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Quested Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins of the Quested family

The surname Quested was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 14th century when Minquinus Quest held estates in that shire in 1323.

Early History of the Quested family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quested research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1351, 1379, 1455, 1476, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Quested History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quested Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Quested are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Quested include: Quest, Quested, Questred, Quester, de Quester and many more.

Early Notables of the Quested family

More information is included under the topic Early Quested Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quested migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Quested Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Quested, (b. 1846), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wennington" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th May 1875 1
  • Mrs. Charlotte Quested, (b. 1846), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wennington" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th May 1875 1
  • Mr. William Quested, (b. 1867), aged 7, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wennington" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th May 1875 1
  • Miss Elizabeth Quested, (b. 1870), aged 4, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wennington" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th May 1875 1
  • Mr. James Quested, (b. 1872), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Wennington" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th May 1875 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Quested (post 1700) +

  • John Quested (b. 1935), American businessman, has been the owner and chairman of Goldcrest Films since the early 90s
  • Nick Quested, American Producer, Director and Writer
  • Wilfred Leonard "Len" Quested (1925-2012), English footballer and manager who played from 1945 to 1965 and managed Cumberland United in 1964
  • Major John Bowley Quested (1893-1948), English World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories, awarded the Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre (France)
  • David Murray Quested (1946-2024), New Zealand cricket umpire who stood in five Test matches between 1995 and 2001 and 31 One Day International games between 1992 and 2002
  • Dave Quested (b. 1946), former New Zealand cricket umpire
  1. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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