Harth Surname HistoryThe ancestors of the bearers of the Harth family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found on a heath, which is an area of level, uncultivated land with poor, coarse, undrained soil and rich deposits of peat or peaty humus. The surname Harth belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. Early Origins of the Harth familyThe surname Harth was first found in Durham where it was first listed as Atte-Hethe, Apud Hethe and Del la Hethe in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279. 1 The name was denoted for someone who lived on or by a heath, typically filled with heather. 2 Kirby's Quest for Somerset listed Adam atte Hethe and John atte Hethe during the reign of Edward III. 3 Later in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, Robert del Heth was listed. Thomas Atte-Hethe was rector of Ringstead Parva, Norfolk in 1376 and Ralph atte Heythe was rector of Rockland Tofts, Norfolk in 1398. 4 Robert Heete or Robert of Woodstock (d. 1428), was an early "canonist and civilian, presumably a native of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, became scholar of Winchester College in 1401, and in due course scholar of New College, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. and LL.B. " 5 Early History of the Harth familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harth research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1501, 1563, 1567, 1575, 1577, 1578, 1583, 1585, 1599, 1600, 1615, 1627, 1629, 1643, 1649, 1661, 1664, 1672, 1704, 1728 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Harth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Harth Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Harth include Heath, Hethe and others. Early Notables of the Harth familyNotables of the family at this time include Sir Robert Heath (1575-1649), Attorney General of England, and founder of North Carolina and South Carolina. He was the son of Robert Heath of Brasted, Kent, a member of the Inner Temple and was born at Brasted on 20 May 1575. 5
James Heath (1629-1664), was a historian, son of Robert Heath, the king's cutler, who lived in the Strand, was born in London in 1629, and educated in Westminster School. 5
Thomas Heath (fl. 1583), was an English mathematician, born in London and was admitted probationer fellow of All Souls, Oxford, in 1567. 5
John... Migration of the Harth family to IrelandSome of the Harth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Harth or a variant listed above: Harth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Harth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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