Tolken is a name that first reached
England following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Tolken family lived in
Kent. Their name, however, is a reference to
Touques, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066.
Early Origins of the Tolken family
The surname Tolken was first found in
Kent where they held a
family seat from early times after the
Norman Conquest in 1066. They were descended from Le Sire de Touques from Pont-le-Eveque where the castle stood. Wace, the historian, mentions the
Baron Touque as amongst the Companions of Duke William, at Hastings in 1066. The ancient family of Touque of Godington of
Kent claim descent from this Norman Lord. We would be remiss if we did not address the legendary Friar Tuck. Two royal writs in 1417 refer to Robert Stafford, a
Sussex chaplain who had assumed the alias of Frere Tuk. Little more is known about him other than this "Friar Tuck" was still at large in 1429.
Early History of the Tolken family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolken research.
Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1175, 1580, 1657, 1615, 1674, 1663, 1673, 1732 and 1698 are included under the topic Early Tolken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Tolken Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Tolken are characterized by many
spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Tolken include Tooke, Tocque, Took, Touque, Tuck and others.
Early Notables of the Tolken family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Tuke (c.1580-1657), an English clergyman and controversial writer, of royalist views in later life; Sir Samuel Tuke (c.1615-1674), 1st
Baronet, English officer in the Royalist army during the English Civil War and a notable playwright, best known...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tolken Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Tolken family to the New World and Oceana
Faced with the chaos present in
England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as
Australia and
Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from
England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Tolken, or a variant listed above:
Tolken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Trine Tolken, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8) - Anna Tolken, aged 26, who emigrated to the United States, in 1893
Tolken Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Georg Tolken, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1911
- Richard Tolken, aged 31, who emigrated to America, in 1914
The Tolken 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: Militia mea multiplex
Motto Translation: My warfare is manifold.