NANCE-L Archives

From: Patricia Fochs <>
Subject: Re: Earliest Nances?
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 18:25:48 -0500

I am going to take a little except from book called the History and
Genealogy of the Nance Family. It is only one reference for the ideas
of the family lineage, but will give us something to talk about.

------" The earliest authentic mention of the name Nance, as a family
name, that the author had found is in the record of the Battle of
Hastings, in A.D. 1066.

In this battle, there was a Norman general who spelled his name Nance,
being the English way of spelling the name. (There are a few families
in America who spell it Nantz being the German spelling; but these
families can easily be traced back to the old families who spell it
Nance.) he cam from a valley in Normandy called Nates. His share of
the land was located at Padstow, Cronwall, and the family are still
there though they have lost their estate."

Thre is a Luca de Nance in 1373, a John Nanste (burgess of St. Ives) I
1573 and Captain John Nance mentioned in 1590. There is no evidence that
the American families descended from any of these families.

"The Nantes were huguenots. The Standard Dictionaly says: ""The
Huguenots were the most moral, industrious and intelligent part of the
French population.

Andrew Nance, the X, of Belfast Ireland writes that his brother, uncle
William, spent much money and time in lookin up his ancestry. He found
the Coat of Arms, of the family, which indicuates that the Royal blood
of France flows through our veins and that the Nantes appear to have
been a noble and aristocratic family, and that the name is a territorial
name.

Two brothers, Andres the I and Clement, with their families fled from
the town of Nepps, situation in the valley of Nantes in France, at the
time of the Huguenot persecutions. These brothers came to Cronwall
where Andrew the first settled and became the head of a large family.
His descendants have spread over Ireland, Scotland and England. One
family went to the Scilly Islands, whereit is said that one island is
inhabited almost entirely by nances. Every eldest son was named Andrew
and in 1897 there had been ten generations and the eldest son was Andres
X.

Clement, the other brother, went north and was entirely lost to his
brother Andrew I. The tradition in America is that our ancestors were
driven from France by the Roman Catholic Church during the Huguenot
persecution and settled in Wales, from which country they early cam to
America. Thus, history and tradition agrees, Wales being just north of
Cornwall and adjoining the same."

Page 9 speaks of the Nances in Virginia and North Carolina (Chapter II).

"It seems most reasonable that Clement Nance’s sons came to America.
First, there are no Nances in England that can be traced to Clement;
secondly, from the predominance of the name "Clement’ in the Nance
families in America.

A number of correspondents from widely different sections have written
me that their forefather fled from Nepps, France and settled in
Virginia, some say that two brothers came over and settled near
Doublebridge, VA and only one raised a family.

The London Company gave 100 acres to any person who paid his way to
Virginia and 1—acres additional to any person who paid the
transportation of an emigrant to their colony; grant to be issued after
the lapse of seven years.

In the records of Virginia, Book I, page 713, we find Richard Nance was
granted 300 acres Henrico county to be doubled when he shall have
sufficiently people and planted on north side of Appomattoch river,
being due said Nance for transportation of six people into thie colony;
to-wit: his wife Alice, Robert, Perry, Robert, Chappell, George Prebedy,
Edward Rolvlington, and Mary Uncas. March 19, 1639.

Also in Book No.. 8 page 231: Wm Nance of James City county, 520
acres…adjoining Jno. Randall, Gregory Well, Mr. Bobby."

All Nances in America are Protestants, the author has nver heard of one
becoming a Roman Catholic. Zachariah Nance stood beside George
Washington at the surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown.

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• Re: Earliest Nances? by Patricia Fochs <>