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![Show Contents]() Moreton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
In ancient Scotland, Moreton was a Strathclyde-Briton name for someone who lived in Dumfriesshire at Morton, a parish containing, with the village of Thornhill, and part of Carronbridge. "The name of Morton, which is Anglo-Saxon, signifies "the stronghold or dwelling on the moor;" and the parish appears to have been thus denominated from the old castle of Morton, a very strong place, the striking ruins of which are still to be seen upon an extensive moor at the bottom of a beautiful green hill. This castle is supposed to have been originally the possession of a Norman chief named de Moreville, whose family had settled in Scotland in the 10th century, obtained a large part of the estates in this neighbourhood, and risen to great power and eminence. He was appointed hereditary lord high constable of Scotland; and his grandson, Hugo de Moreville, in the year 1140, founded the monastery of Kilwinning, in Ayrshire, and in 1144 the abbey of Dryburgh, in Teviotdale." 1 Early Origins of the Moreton familyThe surname Moreton was first found in Dumfriesshire at Morton. One of the first records of the family was "Hugh de Mortun, prior of May, c. 1204-11. William de Mortun who witnessed a grant of the churches of Trauerflat and Dungray to the Abbey of Kelso in 1266, may be W. de Mortun, rector of the church of Dunbenauch, 1269. Thomas de Mortoun held the mill of Mortoun, Dumfriesshire, 1376, and John de Mortoun was provost of the Collegiate Church of Bothevile, 1413." 2 The same author postulates the the origin of the name may also Of territorial origin from the lands of Myrton or Myretoun, afterwards Morton, in the parish of Kemback, Fife. The Myretons, Myretouns, or Mortons of Cambo were an old and considerable family in Fife, who took their surname from these lands. The family "are said to have derived their name from an ancestor in the fourteenth century, who held office as mair of the barony of Crail, and whose own lands were designated Mairtoun. But it is more probable that the family were named from the character or condition of their lands-Myretoun being a corrupt form of Muirtown." 2 Early History of the Moreton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moreton research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1051, 1160, 1170, 1361, 1373, 1422, 1429, 1431, 1446, 1514, 1544, 1559, 1581, 1584, 1590, 1598, 1647, 1694, 1820, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Moreton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Moreton Spelling VariationsIn Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Moreton has been spelled Morton, Moreton, Moorton, Myrton and others. Early Notables of the Moreton familyNotable among the family at this time was - a line of Moretons, who were Earls of Ducie, as well as John Morton of York, who was the Archbisop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of Henry VII. Thomas Morton (1590?-1647...
 Migration of the Moreton family to Ireland
Some of the Moreton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Moreton migration to the United States | + |
Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:
Moreton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Moreton, who landed in New England in 1663 3
- Mathew Moreton, who settled in Virginia in 1698
Moreton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William Moreton, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 3
- Francis James Moreton, aged 18, who landed in America in 1885 3
- Reynolds Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1885 3
- Henry I Moreton, who arrived in Iowa in 1886 3
| Moreton migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Moreton Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century- Mr. Edward Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
- Miss Ann Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Moreton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- John Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
- William Moreton, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
- Mr. Henry Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
- Mr. John Moreton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
- John Moreton, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Moreton migration to West Indies | + |
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10Moreton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- Edward Moreton, who settled in Barbados in 1685
| Contemporary Notables of the name Moreton (post 1700) | + |
- Raymond Claude "Ray" Moreton (1942-2016), New Zealand rugby union player who played from 1961 to 1965, member of the New Zealand National Team (1962-1965)
- Jacques Henri Sébastien César Moreton, Chabrillant French Field Marshal during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 11
- Jacques Aimard de Moreton de Chabrillant, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 11
- Moreton Frewen (1853-1924), English writer on monetary reform, Member of Parliament for North East Cork
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- 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 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Jacques Moreton. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
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Moreton migration to the United States 
Moreton migration to Australia 
Moreton migration to West Indies 
England
Scotland
Ireland
