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Chesterman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Chesterman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Chesterman name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Chester, which is the capital city of the county of Cheshire, which lies on the border between England and Wales; it is the northernmost county on the border. Devastated in the 11th century by border wars between William the Conqueror and the Welsh, Cheshire's border with Wales fluctuated over the next several centuries. Today, the western portion of the Domesday era county is in Wales.

"Many places where Roman and other military stations (castra) existed are called chesters, and residence at such a spot may have conferred the surname. " 1

Early Origins of the Chesterman family

The surname Chesterman was first found in Chester. This ancient Roman and later, Saxon city was known as Legacaestir in 735 and by the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Cestre. "The city was originally known as Deoua from its situation on the River Dee, but later was known as Legacaestir, meaning 'city of legions.' " 2

"From the city of Chester, the capital of Cheshire, England, founded by the Romans. The name is derived from the Latin Castrum; Saxon, ceaster, a fortified place, a city, a castle or camp, it being a Roman station where the twentieth legion was quartered. " 3

Robert Chester (fl. 1182), was an early English astronomer and alchemist who took his name from the place of his birth. "Trained in the ordinary learning of his time, he turned aside from it to pursue mathematical studies, in which he gained a high reputation." 4

Roger of Chester (fl. 1339), is "almost beyond doubt the same person with Ranulf Higden, the chronicler, like whom he is described as a monk of St. Werburg's at Chester." 4

The Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire listed Richard de Cestre there in 1200 and John, William de Chester was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. A few years later, John Chestre was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1366-1367. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Petrus de Cestre in Yorkshire and William de Cestre in Bedfordshire. Kirby's Quest listed William de Chestere, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Elisabet de Chester and Cristiana de Chester as holding lands there at that time. 7

Chesterman is a nickname as "the one who hailed from Chester. This surname is well known in the States. Adam Chesterman 'imbarqued in the Mathew of London' for St. Christophers, 1635. He was nineteen years old. Probably the present Chestermans are his descendants." 7

Early History of the Chesterman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chesterman research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1509, 1513, 1521, 1536, 1545, 1561, 1563, 1566, 1595, 1623 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Chesterman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chesterman Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Chesterman has undergone many spelling variations, including Chester, Chestere, Chesters, Cheaster, Chister, Chestare and many more.

Early Notables of the Chesterman family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir William Chester (1509?-1595?), Lord Mayor and merchant of London, second son of John Chester, citizen and draper of London. "His father died in 1513, and two years afterwards his mother took for her third husband Sir John Milborne, who was lord mayor in 1521, and under whose care young Chester was brought up. Lady Milborne survived to 1545, outliving her husband, who died in...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chesterman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chesterman migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Chesterman were among those contributors:

Chesterman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Chesterman, aged 63, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Panama" from Cristobal, C. Z. 8
Joseph Chesterman, aged 63, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Panama" from Cristobal, C. Z. 8
Harry Chesterman, aged 45, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Polycarp" from St Thomas and Porto Rico 8
William Chesterman, aged 31, originally from London, England, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England 8

Chesterman migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chesterman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Samuel Chesterman, aged 24, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Mary C. Chesterman, aged 23, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
Charles Chesterman, aged 3 months, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874

Chesterman migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 9

Chesterman Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Adam Chesterman, aged 19, who landed in St Christopher in 1635 10
Mr. Adam Chesterman, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Chesterman (post 1700) +

H.H. Chesterman (b. 1952), American politician, 15th Secretary of State of Minnesota
Ron Chesterman (1943-2007), English musician and archivist, best known as the original double bass player with The Strawbs
Ian Chesterman (b. 1959), member of the Australian Olympic Committee and an Australian Winter Olympic administrator
Simon Chesterman, Australian Dean and Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore

The Chesterman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit qui patitur
Motto Translation: He conquers who endures.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm