Cartmill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Cartmill is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in or near the village of Cartmel in the county of Lancashire (now part of Cumbria.) 1 Thus, Cartmill is a habitation surname which is derived from the name of a place. Like most English local surnames, the name Cartmill was originally preceded by a preposition such as de. However, the preposition had usually been dropped from the name by the end of the 14th century. "The Staffordshire variants of this surname seem to have come from North Lancashire via Cheshire." 2

One source notes: "Cartmell was the name of four tenants in Garstang in the reign of James I." 3

And another sources adds this anecdote: "The signification of this name apparently has reference to the famous passage - at low water - across the Leven sands. The guides over the sands are, or were, called carters, passengers generally being conveyed in carts." 4

Early Origins of the Cartmill family

The surname Cartmill was first found in Lancashire, at Cartmel, a parish, in the union of Ulverston, hundred of Lonsdale north of the Sands. "This place, which is supposed to have derived its name from the British words Kert, a camp, and mell, a fell, or small mountain, according to Camden was given to St. Cuthbert, in 677, by Egfrid, King of Northumbria, with all the Britons inhabiting it. In 782, Ethelred, upon his restoration to the throne of that kingdom, allured from their sanctuary at York the sons of Alfwold, who had been advanced to the crown upon his expulsion, and put them to death at Cartmel. In 1188, William Mareschall, Earl of Pembroke, founded a priory for Regular canons of the order of St. Augustine, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and endowed it with all his lands at 'Kertmell,' " 5 Now a village in Cumbria, it has more recently become known as the "home of sticky toffee pudding."

Early rolls listed: Vckeman de Kertmel in the Pipe Rolls for Lancashire in 1188; William de Kertmel in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1260; and William Cartmett in Yorkshire in 1438; and Peter Cartmayle in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1504. 6

Early History of the Cartmill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cartmill research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1306, 1378, 1563, 1578, 1648, 1664, 1673, 1681, 1701, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cartmill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cartmill Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cartmill were recorded, including Cartmill, Cartmills, Cartmell, Cartmells, Kertmell, Cartmele, Cartmail, Kartmill, Kartmell, Certmill, Cartnell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cartmill family

More information is included under the topic Early Cartmill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cartmill family to Ireland

Some of the Cartmill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 198 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cartmill migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Cartmill family emigrate to North America:

Cartmill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Cartmill, who was naturalized in New York in 1831

Contemporary Notables of the name Cartmill (post 1700) +

Cleve Cartmill (1908-1964), American author who specialized in writing science fiction short stories, best known for what is often referred to as "the Cleve Cartmill affair" which drew attention of the FBI

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)