| ![Show Contents]() Tönges History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of TöngesWhat does the name Tönges mean? The history of the Tönges family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Yorkshire, at Tongue (Tonge). However, as a habitational name, in can also be found in Lancashire, Shropshire, and West Yorkshire as many believe the name to be a topographic name for someone who lived on a tongue of land. Early Origins of the Tönges familyThe surname Tönges was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Manningham in that shire. There does not appear to be a record of the village of Maningham at the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 A.D. so it must be assumed that it emerged as a manor about the 12th century. About 1400 the Tongs were well established at Manningham. Today Tonge Hall is a Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house in Tonge, Middleton, Greater Manchester, England. It is thought to have been built by the family c. 1584. Tonge is also a township, in the parish of Prestwichcum-Oldham, union of Oldham, hundred of Salford in the historical county of Lancashire. "It is probable that the family of Tonge gave name to this place, which in the 43rd of Elizabeth was possessed by a member of it named Christopher Tonge." 1 Tonge with Haulgh was home to another branch of the family from ancient times. "In the reign of John, lands were held here by Gilbert de Tonge." 1 Early History of the Tönges familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tönges research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1600, 1621, 1662, 1680 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Tönges History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Tönges Spelling VariationsAnglo-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 Tongues, Tongue, Tong, Tonge and others. Early Notables of the Tönges familyHenry Tongue, minister of Holtby, Yorkshire; and his son, Israel Tonge (1621-1680), aka Ezerel or Ezreel Tongue, an English divine and an informer in the "Popish" plot. Born at Tickhill, near Doncaster, he is thought to have been the inventor of the "Popish" plot. However, he did not...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tönges Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Tönges family to IrelandSome of the Tönges family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Tönges migration to the United States | + |
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 Tönges or a variant listed above were:
Tönges Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Joh Wilh Tonges, who arrived in America in 1866 2
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: Steady
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
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