The Ancient History of

the Distinguished
Surname
Bunce
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The generations of the Bunce family have grown up from the ancient Anglo-Saxon
culture of Britain. The name Bunce comes from the Old French word bon which
referred to a jolly or good fellow.
Extensive research into some of the most ancient documents has revealed the Bunce
surname to be of Anglo-Saxon origin. Your heritage belongs to a culture which
has shaped England more than any other.
Professional historians have examined reproductions of such ancient manuscripts as
the Domesday Book (1086), the Ragman Rolls (1291-1296), the Curia Regis Rolls,
The Pipe Rolls, the Hearth Rolls, parish registers, baptismals, tax records and
other ancient documents. They found the first record of the name Bunce in
Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say
well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in
1066 A.D.
Throughout the centuries, the name Bunce occurred in many records, manuscripts
and documents but not always with the same exact spelling. This surname was
found spelled Bunce and Bunseand these variations in spelling frequently occurred,
even between father and son. Scribes and church officials, often traveling great
distances, even from other countries, frequently spelled the names phonetically. In
addition, official court languages such as Latin and French influenced the spelling
of a name. As a result the same person could be recorded differently on birth,
baptismal, marriage and death certificates as well as the other numerous records
recording life's events.
Many English surnames find their roots in the culture of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of
Britain. The Saxons were invited into England by the ancient Britons of the 4th
century. Their home was the Rhine valley, but some came from as far northeast as
Denmark. They were led by two brothers, Commanders Hengist and Horsa. At
first the Saxons settled in the county of Kent, on the south east coast of England.
Gradually, they spread north and westward, and during the next four hundred years
forced the ancient Britons back into Wales and Cornwall in the west, and
Cumberland to the north. The Angles, another Teutonic tribe, occupied the
eastern coast in Suffolk and Norfolk. Once the independent kingdoms of the
Angles and Saxons were unified the land experienced relative peace.
However, society was disrupted in 1066 when the Normans invaded from France.
Norman victory at the Battle of Hastings resulted in the end of Anglo-Saxon rule.
In 1070, Duke William, the first Norman king of England, took an army of
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40,000 north and ravaged the northern counties. Many rebellious Norman nobles
and Saxons fled over the border into Scotland. Meanwhile, the Saxons who
remained in the south were not treated well under hostile Norman rule. They also
moved northward to the midlands, Lancashire and Yorkshire away from Norman
oppression.
Despite this upheaval the notable English family Bunce thrived, emerging in
Gloucestershire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at
Malmesbury where they held a manor and estates in that shire. By the 14th century
the senior branch had moved into Kent in the vicinity of Canterbury where they
acquired estates. This branch was headed by Sir Edward Bunce and the family later
branched to Ottrinden in the same county. They intermarried with the
distinguished family of Gibbons of West Cliffe near Dover, and became one of
the esteemed families of Kent in the 17th century.
Distinguished members of the family at this time included Sir James Bunce, (c.
1600-1670), 1st Baronet of Otterden, Kent, Sheriff of the City of London from
1643 to 1644; Sir John Bunce, 2nd Baronet (1630-1683); Sir John Bunce, 3rd Baronet
(c. 1659-1687); Sir James Bunce, 4th Baronet (d. c. 1710); Sir John Bunce, 5th
Baronet (d. c. 1720); Sir James Bunce, 6th Baronet (d. 1741).
In these troubled times the New World beckoned as a place to start a new life.
However, the difficulties which families left behind were replaced with new
problems. Settling in regions where the native people were a mystery, where the
environment was unknown, and where the land was untamed, meant that life in the
colonies was harsh to say the least.
Members of the Bunce family would not make the decision to cross the ocean
lightly, for while the trials at the end of the trip were often unknown, the realities
of the voyage itself resulted in the death of many ship's passengers. Overcrowding,
disease, and inadequate food contributed to the harshness of the journey.
Migrants bearing the Bunce surname or a spelling variation of that name include
Joe Bunce who settled in Barbados in 1635; Jo Bunce, aged 18, arrived in Barbados
in 1635; Thomas Bunce, who arrived in Hartford, Conn in 1636; Deborah Bunce,
who landed in Maryland in 1675; Richard Bunce, who landed in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1682; John Bunce, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682; Richd
Bunce, who arrived in Virginia in 1704; Richard Bunce settled in New England in
1764; Robert Spencer Bunce, aged 31, landed in Maryland in 1812; and William
Bunce settled in Baltimore in 1823.
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Copyright 1998-2014 Swyrich Corporation. All Rights Reserved
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Among the destinations selected by immigrants were the colonies which are now
Canada. It was the American War of Independence which brought the first large
group of English speaking settlers to Canada. Known as United Empire Loyalists,
these emigrants from the south settled in Nova Scotia and in the southern Ontario
regions of Kingston, Belleville and Niagara.
Contemporary bearers of the surname Bunce of note include Che Bunce (b.1975)
New Zealand football player; Frank Eneri Bunce (b.1962) New Zealand rugby
union footballer; Joseph H Bunce, American politician, eighteenth Mayor of
Louisville, Kentucky; Oliver Bell Bunce (1828-1890) English writer; Vikki Bunce
(b.1983) Scottish field hockey forward; Steve "Buncey" Bunce (b.1962) British
freelance television and radio sport pundit and newspaper columnist from London;
Frederick "Freddie" Bunce (1938-1991) English football left winger; Stuart
Alexander Bunce (b.1971) English actor from Beckenham, Kent; Don Bunce (1949-
2003) American NFL football quarterback and orthopedic surgeon, recipient of the
1972 Rose Bowl MVP; Kate Elizabeth Bunce (1856-1927) English painter and poet;
Joshua Bunce (1847-1912) American Major League Baseball left fielder and umpire;
Lawrence Melvin Bunce (b.1945) American former professional ABA basketball
player; Cameron Bunce (b.1981) American model and actor; and David Bunce
(b.1950) British independent music producer.
During the course of our research we also searched the armorials for coats of arms
granted to bearers of this name.
The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was:
A blue shield with three blue eagles on a silver fesse between three silver boars.
Certificate No.2792992014831
Copyright 1998-2014 Swyrich Corporation. All Rights Reserved
www.houseofnames.com 888-468-7686