Origins
The Stamps family traces its origins to Germanic raiders who settled in northern Gaul during the Völkerwanderung and adopted the locational surname "d'Étampes" at least by the 7th century. The ancient clan was noted for its character, independence, and honor and declared its family motto to be "Death before Dishonor." According to oral tradition, they allied with Widukind sometime in the 8th century and converted to Christianity as result of this allegiance. To demonstrate their conversion, the clan altered the color scheme of the family symbol. Three rearing black stallions were now white, symbolizing purity of faith. Today, Étampes is a district 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Paris.
Following the Norman Invasion, a large number of the clan settled in England. Eventually, they settled in London and anglicized their surname from "d'Étampes" to "Stampe." The first recorded spelling of the family name occurred in 1191. In that year, the Pipe Rolls of the City of London listed a "John de Stampes." Sir Thomas Stampe appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex, 1424.
Not all members of the clan left for England with William the Conqueror. Many remained in France and were tasked in the 12th century with defending Saxon colonies in Transylvania. Migration throughout this period is evidenced by a German record from Reutlingen, dated May 1294, bearing the name Eberhard Stamph von Söllingen. During the 15th century, work began on the family's château in Valençay. Completed in the 19th century, the Château de Valençay is considered "one of the most beautiful on earth."
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