Sanks History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Sanks familyThe surname Sanks 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 Sanks familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sanks research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1190 is included under the topic Early Sanks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sanks Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Sanks has undergone many spelling variations, including Sankey, Sanky and others. Early Notables of the Sanks familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sanks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sanks family to IrelandSome of the Sanks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Sanks familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Sanks were among those contributors: Robert Sankey settled in Boston in 1635; Andrew Sankey arrived in Philadelphia in 1799; Ham Sankey settled in St. Christopher in 1635.
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.
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