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Show ContentsClaughton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The name Claughton came to England with the ancestors of the Claughton family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Claughton family lived in one of the many parishes by the name of Clayton in Staffordshire, Sussex, the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Cloughton is a small village and civil parish in North Yorkshire. 1 2

Early Origins of the Claughton family

The surname Claughton was first found in Lancashire where the family "claim descent from one Robert, who came into England with the Conqueror, and received Clayton in reward of his services." 3 For the most part, all villages derived their name from the Old English words "claeg" + "tun," collectively meaning "farmstead on clayey soil." 4

Many villages date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 and were listed with a variety of spellings: Claitone (three listings); Claitunea; and Claitone. 5 Another early listing of the surname was Jordan de Claiton who was listed in Yorkshire in 1191. 6

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. lists Robert de Cleyton, Lancashire, Henry III-Edward I. 7

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Sewal de Claton in Hertfordshire; Hamo de Cleyton in Buckinghamshire; and William de Cletone in Shropshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus de Clayton, of Clayton; Sara de Clayton; and Johannes de Clayton. 2 "Taunton Hall [in Knott Lanes, Lancashire], was the seat of the Claytons as early as the reign of Henry VI." 8

Early History of the Claughton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claughton research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1629, 1632, 1665, 1676, 1677, 1684, 1685, 1689, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1702, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1711, 1758, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Claughton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claughton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Claughton are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Claughton include Clayton, Claydon, Clawton, Claughton and others.

Early Notables of the Claughton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Richard Clayton of Adlington; William Clayton (1632-1689), English settler to America in 1677, acting Governor of the Pennsylvania Colony from 1684 to 1685; Richard Clayton (died 1676), English Canon, Oxford academic and administrator, Master of University College, Oxford (1665 to 1676); Sir Thomas Clayton (c 1612-1693), an English doctor, academic and politician; and Sir Robert Clayton (1629-1707) British merchant banker, politician and Lord Mayor of London.John Clayton (1693-1773), was an English-born botanist, born at Fulham in 1693. His father...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claughton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Claughton family to Ireland

Some of the Claughton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Claughton migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Claughton, or a variant listed above:

Claughton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Claughton, who landed in Virginia in 1661 9

Australia Claughton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Claughton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Claughton a surveyor, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Rapid" in 1836 10
  • George Claughton, aged 38, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 11
  • Hannah Claughton, aged 39, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 11
  • William Claughton, aged 14, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 11
  • Hannah Claughton, aged 17, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Claughton (post 1700) +

  • Piers Calverley Claughton (1814-1884), English Bishop of Colombo, born at Haydock Lodge, Winwick, Lancashire, on 8 Jan. 1814, son of Thomas Claughton (M.P. for Newton, Lancashire, 1818-25, who died in 1842) 12
  • Anderson Claughton Herold (1886-1979), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Treasurer, 1920; Member of West Virginia State Senate 10th District, 1923-34;Member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1945 13

The Claughton 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: Probitatum quam divitias
Motto Translation: Probity rather than riches.
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  8. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  9. 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)
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAPID 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Rapid.htm
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SamuelBoddington.htm
  12. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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