Macey History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of MaceyWhat does the name Macey mean? The surname Macey is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Macey family lived in Cheshire. Their name, however, is a reference to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Macey in Manche, Normandy. 1 Early Origins of the Macey familyThe surname Macey was first found in Cheshire, but looking back further, this Norman family originated at Macey in Manche, Normandy and Hamon Massie arrived in England with the Conqueror and was granted the lands of Dunham-Massey in Cheshire. He was a tenant of Lupus, Earl of Chester. "In 1086 Hugh de Maci held lands in Huntingdonshire 2, and Hamo or Hamund de Maci held nine lordships in barony from Hugh Lupus in Cheshire, and 1193 subscribed the foundation charter of Chester Abbey, and granted lands to it." 1 "The present town of Dunham-Massey, 'the home of the Masseys on the downs,' takes its name from this Hamon, one of the Palatinate barons, who there built his castle, and made it the head of his honour. His descendants held it for more than two hundred and seventy years, five generations in succession bearing his name." 3 By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered throughout England as seen by the following entries found there: Alan Macey and Henry Macy in Suffolk; Robert de Maysey and William de Macy in Wiltshire; and Walter Masci in Huntingdon. 4 "The Massies of Sale, who gave their name to Saughall Massie, and had branched off as early as the time of King John, ended in 1685 with Richard Massy and his seven daughters. Of this line were the Massies of Backford and Timperley, whose last heir died in the time of Henry V.: the Massies of Edgeley, still flourishing under James I.: the Mascys of Godley, and probably those of Hough and Kelshall. The Masseys that were seated at Crossley till 1600." 3 Early History of the Macey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Macey research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1612, 1676, 1700, 1706, 1753 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Macey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Macey Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Macy, Macey and others. Early Notables of the Macey familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was General Edward Massey who fought with Charles I at Worcester; Thomas Mace (c.1612-1706), an English lutenist, viol player, singer... Macey RankingIn the United States, the name Macey is the 14,252nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 Migration of the Macey family to IrelandSome of the Macey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Macey or a variant listed above: Macey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Macey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Macey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
|