Wintsor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Wintsor

The name Wintsor was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wintsor 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 Wintsor family

Early History of the Wintsor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wintsor 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 Wintsor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wintsor Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Windsor, Winsor, Winzer, Winser, Wincer and others.

Early Notables of the Wintsor 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 Wintsor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wintsor family to Ireland

Some of the Wintsor 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 Wintsor family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Wintsor or a variant listed above: 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.