Did the medieval English Denne family move from east to west and become Deanes? [closed]

Question

Having stirred up discussion with New England Deans, I've moved up the ancestral line and found Deanes and Dennes in England.

The earliest are Dennes with an entry in the Visitation of Kent.  The Visitation pedigree works nicely until one gets to John Denne, who is a third son.  WikiTree gives him a son Michael, who is the father of John Deane who begins a family in Chard, Somersetshire.  

This is of course possible.  People do change the spelling of their names, especially in medieval times.  And people did move from places like Kent, in the East of England, to Somerset, in the West, below Wales.  

It's also possible that we're looking at one of those instances where one family got grafted on to another.  

Can anyone find additional information that would help us decide which of the possibilities are more likely?

Comments

I think it is highly unlikely that such an armorial family as Denne of Denne Hill, Kingston would allow their sons/daughters to spell their name like Dean - the earlier spelling of Denne was Denn or Den anyway - the East Kent pronunciation is also very straightforward - all 3 versions  sound like Den as in "the lions den" (not dean, deen dane or whatever) - the family seat if I may call it that was in Kingston but they owned land stretching over and in the neighbouring parishes of Barham, Womenswold (modern spelling) & Adisham (all just SE of Canterbury) they also owned large parts of Romney Marsh. The family is said to pre-date Norman times (though that is outside my knowledge). I have not seen any convincing migration of Denne Westwards (why would they when they owned large parts of East Kent from Canterbury to Dover to Romney - a branch of Denne who married Nethersole went to Jamaica/ West Indies, but I dont recall when that was (18thC? perhaps) - sorry cant help you more

Answer 1

I also think it is unlikely. There are a lot of Deanes in the early parish registers for the area. (Maybe locational name, Vale of Taunton Deane )

If you move forwards two generations one finds that Walter was a tithingman, responsible position but one taken by a manorial tenant, not one of the gentry. 

I note that Walter's wife is 'disputed'  A Walter certainly married Johanna Walselye at St Mary Buckland  (but maybe not found on a simple search as his name is  in Latin)

Gualterus Deane discovered in Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1531-1812 - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/18644704?h=fbeda2 

Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Reference Number: D\P\b.my/2/1/1 Buckland St Mary, composite register.

Answer 2

Denne in Burke  suggests that the said John Denne s/o Michael of whom you originally asked - stays in Kent, in Lym[p]ne [near Hithe] and has 4 sons there: Michael, Henry, John & Peter (see Burke page 20 bottom left hand column to top right hand column of same page). I believe he & his family stayed in Kent and that there is no link to "Dean" of Somerset. 

Answer 3

I have de-linked the Kent and Somerset families.