Houlton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Houlton name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in one of the settlements called Holton in the counties of Dorset, Suffolk and Somerset. The surname Houlton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Houlton family

The surname Houlton was first found in the Isle of Wight where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The family later settled in Wiltshire in the reign of James I (1567-1625) and held Farley Castle there at that time. Rev. Robert Houlton of Milton, Clevedon, Somerset, the promoter of the Suttonian method of variolation was a descendant of this line.

Early History of the Houlton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Houlton research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1696, 1700, 1720 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Houlton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Houlton Spelling Variations

Until 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 Houlton include Houlton, Holton and others.

Early Notables of the Houlton family

Notables of the family at this time include

Jospeh Houlton Esq., of Trowbridge, (died 1720) High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1696, her purchased from the Hungerford family in 1700, the estate of Farleigh Hungerford in Somersetshire

Houlton migration to the United States +

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 Houlton or a variant listed above:

Houlton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Houlton, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 1

Houlton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S W Houlton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Houlton migration to Australia +

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

Houlton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Peter Houlton, British convict from Gibraltar, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Houlton (post 1700) +

Dennis Sean "D. J." Houlton Jr. (b. 1979), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Joseph Houlton, American pioneer who moved to Maine in 1807 founding what would later become known as the town of Houtlon, Maine
Loyce Houlton (1925-1995), American dancer, choreographer, dance pedagogue, and arts administrator
W. H. Houlton, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 30th District, 1878 3
L. J. Houlton, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 2nd District, 1929-30 3
L. E. Houlton, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 8th District, 1917-18 3
Gerard Houlton (b. 1939), English cricketer from St Helens, Lancashire who played for Lancashire from 1961 to 1963
Robert Houlton (1739-1815), English medical practitioner, dramatist and journalist from Milton, Clevedon, Somerset; he continued his father's pursuit of promoting Suttonian method of variolation (inoculation against smallpox)
Sir Bruce Houlton Slane KNZM CBE (1931-2017), New Zealand public servant, 1st Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand (1993-2003)
Sir Francis Houlton Hartwell (1835-1900), 3rd Baronet

The Houlton 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: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.

Citations +

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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html