Wynche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Wynche is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wynche 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 Wynche family

The surname Wynche 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 Wynche family

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

Wynche Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Winche, Winch, Whinch, Whinche, Wince and others.

Early Notables of the Wynche 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 damaged by the Leicester witch trials of 1616. He was...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wynche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wynche family to Ireland

Some of the Wynche 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 Wynche family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Wynche or a variant listed above: 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.