Sanckey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Sanckey family

The surname Sanckey was first found in Lancashire where the Sankeys descend from a family of considerable antiquity. The first on record is Galdridus de Sankey, who held the lands of Sankey Manga and Sankey Parva in the reign of King John. 1 Later, William de Sankey was rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire from 1298 to 1299. 2

"The manor of Little Sankey was granted by Pain de Vilers, lord of Warrington, to Gerard de Sankey the carpenter, in the early part of the twelfth century. It was assessed as one plough-land and held by knight's service. In 1212 Robert son of Thomas was holding it; and thirty years later Robert de Samlesbury was the tenant. He or his descendants probably adopted the local surname; but little or nothing is known of the place until the end of the fifteenth century, when Randle, son of Randle Sankey, did homage and paid 10s. as his relief for one plough-land in Little Sankey. Edward Sankey died 1 December, 1602, holding the tenth part of a knight's fee in Little Sankey, Warrington, and Great Sankey; Thomas, his son and heir, was under sixteen years of age. Nothing further seems to be known of the family or manor." 2

Early History of the Sanckey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sanckey research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1190 is included under the topic Early Sanckey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sanckey Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sanckey include Sankey, Sanky and others.

Early Notables of the Sanckey family

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

Migration of the Sanckey family to Ireland

Some of the Sanckey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sanckey family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sanckey or a variant listed above: Robert Sankey settled in Boston in 1635; Andrew Sankey arrived in Philadelphia in 1799; Ham Sankey settled in St. Christopher in 1635.

The Sanckey Motto +

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: Sancta Clavis Coeli Fides
Motto Translation: Faith is the Sacred Key to Heaven.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].