Origins Of The Surname Custance

French Origins

The Custance story starts in 1066, where Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances, after landing onthe Essex coast from Normandy joined up with Duke William at Berkhampstead Castle and then on to Westminster where William was duly crowned King of England. In the Channel Islands to this day, the name "Coutance" still exists in its original form. Bishop Geoffrey later became an arbitrator in compiling the Doomsday book. Back in Normandy, in the Golfe de St.Malo, is the town of Coutance. This town is famous for its Gothic Cathedral. According to the "Livre Noir" written in 1250, a Bishop of Coutances was mentioned way back in 511 at the Council of Orleans, but no Bishop actually resided there until 1024.

Once in Coutance this Bishop set about building a cathedral. It was probably meant to be a temporary building because soon afterwards there began a great work of construction which when completed had lasted more than 200 years.

In 1056 it was sufficiently advanced to be consecrated by the Archbishop of Rouen in the presence of Duke William of Normandy, who later became William the Conqueror. Bishop Geoffrey died in 1093 and is buried inside the cathedral.

Early Ancestors

Our journey takes us back to 1510 when William Custance a Yeoman of Sutton died. He was married to Cicely and they had Robert Custance. He too was a Yeoman and a landed proprietor in Norfolk. Robert had estates in Barningham Norwood, Bodham and Winter Barningham. He married Alice and he died in Barningham on April 23 1561.

There are records of the name De Cusancia appearing in Northrepps and Southrepps in Norfolk between 1315 and 1323 with William and Peter De Cusancia being Parsons there. Thomas Custanny was a Freeman of Norwich in 1367. The name in its present form was first found in Wheatacre in 1390 with Simon and Thomas Custance. As we can see the name has evolved down the years in various forms but I have traced back directly to William. Robert had three children, Ayme, William and Edmund. Not much is known about Amye but the two boys and their decendants are well chronicled.

William Custance was the eldest son of Robert and it is from him that the start of the Weston Longville line originates. William was born in 1533 and married Francis Bacon in 1560. They had two children Margaret and William. He died in Norfolk in 1601. The descendants of William later went on to be written about in the book "A Diary of a Country Parson". by Thomas Woodforde. The church in Weston Longville still stands today along with the Custance pew. The church and cemetery are a haven of memorials and graves to the family and is well worth a visit.

Edmund Custance is from whom I descend. He was born in Barningham and he married Cicely Palmer in 1570.
They had three children Thomas, Katherine and Robert. It is from this side that the Custance families of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire descend. Thomas was born in 1573 and married Francis Francis (!!!!).
Together they had seven children. Annis, Emily, John, William, Francis, Mary and Thomas.

And many, many generations later myself, Graham, decided to try and find out about my "roots". It has so far taken me 20 years and a lot of assistance from other "Custances" who are all fascinated by this subject.

Later Ancestors

The confectionery business had been in my family for a long while. Charles Creek Custance was the first confectioner and he was baptised in 1786 in Godmanchester in Huntingdonshire.

But the photograph is probably James Custance born in 1810 in Godmanchester, the son of Charles Creek Custance. James went on to father 22 children from two marriages.

By Graham Custance

The author is happy to help anyone who has any queries. Email graham@custance.co.uk or visit his website for further information.

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