| ![Show Contents]() Plantagenet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of PlantagenetWhat does the name Plantagenet mean? The name Plantagenet was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Plantagenet is for a gardener as the name was originally derived from the Old English word plant meaning plant, or young tree. Early Origins of the Plantagenet familyThe surname Plantagenet was first found in London where they held a family seat being descended from Fulk, the Count of Anjou, whose descendants were exemplified by the Emperor, Henry V of Germany. Geoffrey Plantagenet (1113-1151), Count of Anjou, was the father of Henry II of England. Henry ascended the English throne and thus began the Plantagenet dynasty. He bore the three royal lines which continued until the time of Edward III who added a crest of another lion. The eventual heiress of this house was the Princess Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, and Queen of Henry VII. Many junior lines abounded. The parish of Great Sandall in Yorkshire has an interesting footnote about this illustrious family. "This place is of high antiquity, and was long the baronial seat of the lords of Wakefield, of whom John Plantagenet, the last Earl of Warren, erected a strong castle here about the year 1320, which in the reign of Edward III. was occupied by Edward Balliol, one of the competitors for the throne of Scotland. The castle became the property of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who fell in the battle of Wakefield, in 1460; and was subsequently the residence of his son, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III. During the war in the reign of Charles I., it was held for the king, but was ultimately surrendered to the republican forces in 1645, and in the following year was demolished by order of parliament; the remains are very inconsiderable, scarcely serving to point out the site." 1 Early History of the Plantagenet familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plantagenet research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1533 is included under the topic Early Plantagenet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Plantagenet Spelling VariationsBefore the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Plantagenet were recorded, including Plantaggenett, Plantagenet, Plant, Plante and others. Early Notables of the Plantagenet familyMore information is included under the topic Early Plantagenet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Plantagenet family to IrelandSome of the Plantagenet 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 Plantagenet familyThe unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Plantagenet arrived in North America very early: Thomas Plant who settled in Virginia in 1670; Elizabeth Plant settled in Maryland in 1723; Matthew Plant settled in Virginia in 1635; James Plant settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1841.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Plantagenet (post 1700) | + |
- George Plantagenet KG (1449-1478), 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick
- Margaret Plantagenet (1240-1275), Margaret of England, Queen of Scotland
- Arthur Plantagenet KG (d. 1542), 1st Viscount Lisle, the illegitimate son of King Edward IV of England
- Richard Plantagenet (1469-1550), reclusive English bricklayer who claimed to be a son of Richard III
- Antigone Plantagenet (1390-1447), English noblewoman and the legitimised daughter of Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester
- George Plantagenet (1477-1479), Duke of Bedford
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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