The surname Pennington originates from their place of residence. While a man lived in the village where he was born, he would not be known by its name, as that would be no means of identification … all in the village would then be so named. But when a man left his birthplace or village where he had been known, and went elsewhere, people would likely refer to him by the name of his former residence. One might acquire a place name as a surname by living at or near a place. This is particularly true of topographical features. When people lived very close to the soil, as they did in the Middle Ages, they were acutely conscious of every local variation in landscape and countryside. Every field or plot of land was identified in normal conversation by a descriptive term. If a man lived on, or near, a hill or mountain, he might receive the word as a family surname. Every country had hills and mountains and living on, or near, them gave many people names.

This is the case in our ancestral name, Pennington. Apparently, they lived on or near the Pennine Chain, which is a long line of mountains in northern England. The Pennine Chain runs through the central part of the country, starting in Northumberland and Cumbria counties and extending south to Derbyshire and Staffordshire counties. Added to the word "Pennine" was the word "ton" which means "a place". Put them together and you get "Pennine-ton" or someone from the "place of Pennine".

The earliest reference to the Pennington name dates back to before the year 1100 in Cumberland (now called Cumbria) County. The year 1100 …the Middle Ages. We think of knights in shining armor, lavish banquets, wandering minstrels, kings and queens. In films and literature, medieval life is portrayed as heroic, entertaining and romantic. In reality, life in the Middle Ages was sometimes all these things, as well as harsh, uncertain and oftentimes dangerous.

Ancient manuscripts note the Penningtons as knights in the King's service and living in Cumberland The Penningtons' were, for the most part, knights successively and men of great valor in the King's services. Knights were men of noble birth who, after having served as a page and a squire, were given an honorable military rank. In the Middle Ages, a young boy in training to be a knight spent the first years of his life chiefly in the care of the women of his family. During this time, he learned to ride a pony and care for horses.

When a boy reached the age of about seven, he left home to begin training for knighthood. As a page, he joined the household of another knight. There he learned to handle small weapons. He also learned the code of courtesy and behavior expected of a knight … chivalry. A boy began his training as a squire at 15 or 16. He acted as a personal servant to the knight who was his master. He set the table and served meals. The squire received serious training as a mounted soldier. He rode with his master into battle and took part in the fight. In battle, the squire wore silvered spurs to distinguish him from a knight, whose spurs were gilt. The period of service usually last about five years. Then the squire was eligible for knighthood.

Coats of arms first appeared during the early 1100’s. The knights wore heavy metal armor during battle and helmets covered their faces. They displayed coats of arms on their shields and flags so their followers could recognize them on the battlefield.

Today, near the coastal village of Ravenglass in Cumbria County, stands Muncaster Castle. Dominating the River Esk, Muncaster Castle has been owned and occupied by the Pennington family since 1208. Muncaster Castle was a sanctuary for King Henry IV during the War of Roses. In 1464, Henry IV presented the Pennington's with a glass bowl which they named "The Luck of Muncaster". Henry declared that as long as the drinking bowl remained intact, the Penningtons would live and thrive at Muncaster Castle!

But why was it named Muncaster Castle instead of Pennington Castle? The original Mulcaster was David de Mulcaster. David's original name was David Pennington. His father was Benedict Pennington, whose name appears in the Pipe Roll of 1185. A "Pipe Roll" is a kind of ancient English census. In the 12^th Century, during King John’s time, David Pennington changed his name to David de Muncaster so people would know specifically where he was from. The word "mul" or "mun" means hill and the word "ceaster" means Roman fort. Therefore, Mulcaster (sometimes Muncaster) means "Roman fort on a hill". Muncaster Castle was built on Roman foundations. Some of David’s descendants kept the surname "Mulcaster" even though they were descended from Penningtons.

The present owner of Muncaster Castle is Patrick Gordon-Duff-Pennington. If you visit Cumbria County, England, you can tour Muncaster Castle. The furniture of the 16^th and 17^th century is in wonderful condition. The Ougley Dinner Service on display in the dining room is said to be the most decorated service made by the Derby factory. A replica of the "Luck of Muncaster" drinking bowl from King Henry IV is also on display. The octagonal library was refurbished in Victorian times and contains over 6,000 books. The Drawing Room has a barrel ceiling and the Great Hall is one of the earliest in England. The view down the Eskdale River and the rhododendron gardens are famous and the woodland garden extends to about 75 acres.

Does all this talk about knights and castles and Cumbria County England in the Middle Ages mean anything to us today? Could our family be related to these same Penningtons of Medieval England? Not everyone today with a Pennington name in their lineage is related BY BLOOD to those Penningtons, but they are DESCENDED from a family who was related to this original Pennington family.

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