Medlicott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Medlicott surname comes from when the Medlicott family lived in the settlement of Medlicott in the English border county of Shropshire. The surname Medlicott belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Medlicott family

The surname Medlicott was first found in Shropshire, at Medlicott, a parish in Wentnor. It is generally believed that the oldest record of the family was Llewelyn de Modlicott who resided here c. 1180. He was son of Sir Roger de Meldron (died c. 1200.)

By the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, some of the family were found in Devonshire where Richard de Middlecote was listed as holding lands at that time. 1 "The ancient Shropshire family of Medlicott, which took its name from a manor, flourished in the 13th century. The Medlycott family of Ven House, Milborne Port, Somerset, originally came from Shropshire." 2

Early History of the Medlicott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Medlicott research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1586, 1593 and 1625 are included under the topic Early Medlicott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medlicott Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Medlicott have included Medlicot, Medlicott, Medlycot, Medlycott, Medlicote, Medleycot, Medleycott, Medleycote, Modlicot, Modlicote and many more.

Early Notables of the Medlicott family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Sir Thomas Medlicott of Abingdon

Migration of the Medlicott family to Ireland

Some of the Medlicott 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.

Medlicott migration to the United States +

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Medlicott were found:

Medlicott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniel Medlicott who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683
Daniel Medlicott, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683-1684 3

Medlicott migration to Australia +

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

Medlicott Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Medlicott, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Medlicott (post 1700) +

William Norton Medlicott (1900-1987), English diplomatic historian
Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819-1886), Irish poet, best known for his poem "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

The Medlicott 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: Dat cura quietem
Motto Translation: Vigilance ensures tranquility.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring