Show ContentsParkhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Parkhouse

What does the name Parkhouse mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Parkhouse comes from the family having resided in the region of Parkhurst or wood in the park. Parkhouse is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Parkhouse family

The surname Parkhouse was first found in Herefordshire where Sir Osbern Pentecost (died 1054), a Norman knight who followed Edward the Confessor to England built the castle at Ewyas, one of the first Motte and Bailey structures in England. He like many other Normans was banished from England so he secured safe passage to Scotland in 1052 but was later killed at the Battle of Dunsinane.

"The Bishops of Exeter held Ashburton, [Devon] until it was assumed by the Crown under James I., and subsequently sold in moieties to Sir Robert Parkhurst and the Earl of Feversham. " 1

Early History of the Parkhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parkhouse research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1560, 1569, 1574, 1603, 1625, 1635, 1636, 1651, 1659, 1674, 1743, 1797 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Parkhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parkhouse Spelling Variations

Parkhouse has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Parkhurst, Pankhurst and others.

Early Notables of the Parkhouse family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Emily Pankhurst, Suffragette; John Parkhurst (c. 1511-1574), an English Marian exile and later Bishop of Norwich in 1560; Sir Robert Parkhurst (c.1569-1636), an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parkhouse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Parkhouse migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Parkhouses to arrive on North American shores:

Parkhouse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Elizabeth Parkhouse, who arrived in Virginia in 1722 2

Parkhouse migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Parkhouse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Isaac Parkhouse, (b. 1811), aged 22, English stable boy who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for robbery, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1896 3
  • Mr. George Parkhouse, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Parkhouse migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Parkhouse Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Ann Parkhouse, (b. 1837), aged 26, English settler from Devonshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 5
  • Mr. John Parkhouse, (b. 1839), aged 24, English gardener from Devonshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 5
  • Miss Catherine Parkhouse, (b. 1861), aged 2, English settler from Devonshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864, listed as died on the passenger list, may have died on board 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Parkhouse (post 1700) +

  • George M. Parkhouse (1900-1967), American politician, Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives
  • Richard John Parkhouse (1910-1984), Welsh cricketer
  • Jaynie Parkhouse (1956-1974), New Zealand gold medalist freestyle swimmer at the 1974 Commonwealth Games
  • Steve Parkhouse (b. 1948), British writer, artist and letterer
  • William Gilbert Anthony Parkhouse (1925-2000), Welsh cricketer

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. John Parkhouse, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 6


  1. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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