Lainhart Surname HistoryLainhart is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Lainhart family lived in Staffordshire. Their name is derived from the Old English word lanu and literally translates as dweller in the Lane. Early Origins of the Lainhart familyThe surname Lainhart was first found in Staffordshire where the family claim descent from De La Lane as listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey. 1 This source continues "a family illustrious in history for the part they took in the preservation of King Charles II. After the battle of Worcester, Col. John Lane, head of the house, received the fugitive Prince at his mansion of Bentley, whence his Majesty was conveyed in disguise by the Colonel's eldest sister, Jane Lane, to her cousin Mrs. Norton's residence in Bristol. This loyal lady received after the Restoration an annual pension of £1,000 for life. Her brother, the cavalier Col. Lane was granted the especial badge of honour, the arms of England (three lions passant guardant on a red field) in a canton for his efforts." 1 The Royal Crown in the crest also bears to the family's recognition as does the family motto which translates as "Guard the King." Bentley Hall [in Bentley, Staffordshire], the ancient manor-house of the Lane family, is distinguished as the residence of Colonel Lane. The Hall is a neat building standing on an eminence." 2 Early History of the Lainhart familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lainhart research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1609, 1626, 1630, 1644, 1651, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1667, 1675, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lainhart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lainhart Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Lane, Lawn, Lone, Loan, Lain, Laine and others. Early Notables of the Lainhart familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Benjamin Lany (Laney) (1591-1675), an English academic and bishop from Ipswich, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge (1630-1644) and (1660-1662), Bishop of Peterborough (1660-1663) of Lincoln (1663-1667) and of Ely (1667-1675); Colonel John Lane of Bentley (1609-1667), English Member of Parliament for Lichfield, Staffordshire (1661 to 1667), and Royalist colonel who had given refuge to King Charles II at... Migration of the Lainhart family to IrelandSome of the Lainhart family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lainhart or a variant listed above: Lainhart Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
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