The history of the Winnche family name begins after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Winnche family
The surname Winnche 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) a census initiated by William the Conqueror in 1086 after his Conquest of
England in the year 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Winnche family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winnche research.
Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1660, 1654, 1667, 1555, 1625, 1608, 1611, 1616, 1622, 1703, 1660, 1661, 1679, 1679, 1681, 1685, 1689, 1679 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Winnche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Winnche Spelling Variations
Anglo-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 Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.
Early Notables of the Winnche family (pre 1700)
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 damaged by the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winnche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Winnche family to Ireland
Some of the Winnche 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.
Migration of the Winnche family to the New World and Oceana
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 Winnche or a variant listed above were: Mary Winche who settled in New
England in 1634; Katherine Winch settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768; F. Winch settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852.