Contents [hide]

Winch History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Winch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Winch is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Winch family lived in Bedfordshire, at Winch. The name was originally derived from the Old English word winch, meaning sharp bend in the river.

Early Origins of the Winch family

The surname Winch was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Haynes. Conjecturally they are descended from Hugh de Beauchamp who occupied those lands at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a census initiated by William the Conqueror in 1086 after his Conquest of England in the year 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Winch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winch research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1582, 1590, 1608, 1611, 1616, 1622, 1625, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1667, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1689 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Winch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winch Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Winch include Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.

Early Notables of the Winch family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Humphrey Winch (1555-1625), an English judge from Bedfordshire, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (1608-1611) who had a distinguished career in Ireland and England, but whose reputation was seriously...
His grandson, Sir Humphrey Winch, 1st Baronet (1622-1703), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Bedford in 1660, for Bedfordshire (1661-1679), for Great Marlow (1679-1681) and (1685-168...

Migration of the Winch family to Ireland

Some of the Winch 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.

Winch migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Winchs to arrive on North American shores:

Winch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Winch, who arrived in Virginia in 1659 2
Tho Winch, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2
John Winch, aged 25, who landed in Virginia in 1684 2

Winch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Fanny Parke Winch, who landed in Virginia in 1739 2
Katherine Winch, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768

Winch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Winch, who arrived in America in 1804 2
Conrad Winch, aged 45 who arrived in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
F. Winch settled in San Francisco, California in 1852

Winch migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Winch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Winch, English convict who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Elizabeth Winch, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Louisa Baillie" in 1849 4
John Winch, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Boyne" in 1850 5

Winch 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:

Winch Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Winch, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 6
Mrs. Sarah Winch, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 6
Sarah Winch, aged 24, a cook, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waipa" in 1876

Contemporary Notables of the name Winch (post 1700) +

Walter T. Winch, American Republican politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Keene 1st Ward; Elected 1956 7
Marilyn Winch, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1972 7
Louis H. Winch, American politician, Circuit Judge in Ohio 8th Circuit, 1893-1913 7
Eli E. Winch, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 1912 7
Charles A. Winch, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 11th District, 1888 7
Amasa T. Winch, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Ontario County 2nd District, 1877-78 7
Joel C. C. Winch (1835-1880), United States federal judge
Terence Winch (b. 1945), Irish-American poet, writer and musician, co-founder of the band Celtic Thunder in 1977
Ralph Phillip Winch Ph.D., American Physicist and Educator, Massachusetts
Nathaniel John Winch (1769-1838), English botanist who devoted to the study of plants, especially those of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Durham 8
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The LOUISA BAILLIE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849LouisaBaillie.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque BOYNE 1850, 521 tons. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Boyne.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 4 Feb. 2019