Winsome History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Winsome

The name Winsome reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Winsome family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Winsome family lived in Berkshire, at Windsor Castle. Interestingly, "The Stanwell family claim descent from Walter Fitz-Other (fl. 1087), who held that manor at the time of Domesday Book and was warder of Windsor Castle, whence he derived the name Windsor. His third son, Gerald de Windsor (fl. 1116), was constable of Pembroke Castle, and steward to Arnulf, Earl of Pembroke, in whose service he saw much fighting in Pembroke. He was sent to King Murtagh in Ireland to ask his daughter's hand for Arnulf, married Nest or Nesta, mistress of Henry I, and was father of William Fitzgerald, Maurice Fitzgerald (d. 1176), David (d. 1176), Bishop of St. David's, and Angharad, mother of Giraldus Cambrensis, the historian. It was from Gerald's eldest brother William that the Windsors of Stanwell claimed descent." 1

Early Origins of the Winsome family

Early History of the Winsome family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Winsome research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1360, 1381, 1445, 1467, 1513, 1541, 1543, 1624, 1627, 1687 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Winsome History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Winsome Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Windsor, Winsor, Winzer, Winser, Wincer and others.

Early Notables of the Winsome family

Sir James Windsor (c.1360), ancestor of the Earls of Plymouth, First Baron Andrew Windsor (1467-1543), a courtier and army commander, and Miles Windsore (1541-1624), a British scholar and poet. Thomas Windsor, seventh Baron Windsor of Stanwell and first Earl of Plymouth (1627?-1687), born about 1627...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Winsome Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winsome family to Ireland

Some of the Winsome family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Winsome family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Winsome name or one of its variants: Robert Windsor, who came to Boston in 1631; Joshua Windsor, who arrived in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638; Marthah Windsor, who came to Nevis in 1660.