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Show ContentsMutton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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When the ancestors of the Mutton family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Mitton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Moutons, in Calvados, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Mutton family

The surname Mutton was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but partly in Lancashire. The parish of Little Mitton in Lancashire played an important role in the family's lineage. "It gave name as early as the time of Richard I. to a knightly family, of whom Sir Ralphe de Little Mitton is mentioned in the Townley MSS." 2

"Aighton [in Lancashire], under the name of Halghton, was granted by Ilbert de Lacy, prior to 1102, with other lands, to a family who is supposed to have taken the surname of Mitton." 2

Literally the place name of Mitton means "farmstead where two rivers join," from the Old English words "mythe" + "tun." Great Mitton and Little Mitton collectively date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were first listed as Mitune. 3 Today, they are both in Lancashire, but historically they were in Yorkshire.

One of the first records of the family was Alan and Jordan de Mitton who were listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219 and then again in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Adam de Mytton and Johannes de Mytton, sutor. 5

Early History of the Mutton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mutton research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1373, 1558, 1565, 1570, 1586, 1597, 1604, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1629, 1637, 1656, 1666, 1796 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Mutton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mutton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Mutton have been found, including Mytton, Mutton, Myreton, Myrton, Mouton, Myttins, Mitton and many more.

Early Notables of the Mutton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Peter Mutton (1565-1637), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1604 and 1624; and Thomas Mytton (c.1597-1656), a parliamentarian general of the English Civil Wa...

United States Mutton migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Mutton were among those contributors:

Mutton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Mutton,who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607
  • Kathleen Mutton, who settled in Virginia in 1648 with her sister Mary
  • Kath Mutton, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 6
  • John Mutton, who landed in Virginia in 1658 6
  • Henry Mutton, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 6
Mutton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mittes Mutton, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 6

Canada Mutton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mutton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Robert Mutton, who arrived in Canada in 1815
Mutton Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Charles Oliver Mutton, (b. 1882), aged 21, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd May 1903 en route to Canada 7

Australia Mutton migration to Australia +

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

Mutton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Martin Mutton, (b. 1819), aged 26 born in St. Dominic, Cornwall, UK convicted in Plymouth on 14th April 1845, sentenced for 7 years for stealing coat and shoes, transported aboard the ship "Equestrian" in 1845 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 8
  • Mr. Thomas Martin Mutton, English convict who was convicted in Plymouth, Devon, England for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 9
  • Mr. William Henry Mutton, (b. 1825), aged 24, Cornish blacksmith from Stoke Climsland, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 10
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Mutton, (b. 1825), aged 24, Cornish settler from Stoke Climsland, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 10
  • Mr. William Henry Mutton, (b. 1825), aged 24, Cornish blacksmith departing from Plymouth on 21st December 1848 aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 10th April 1849 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Mutton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mutton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Mutton, (b. 1835), aged 30, Cornish farm labourer departing on 15th December 1865 aboard the ship "Victory" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th March 1866 12
  • Mr. John Mutton, (b. 1874), aged Infant, Cornish settler departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 13
  • Mrs. Mary Mutton, (b. 1851), aged 23, Cornish settler departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 13
  • Mr. William Mutton, (b. 1849), aged 25, Cornish settler departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 13
  • Miss Mary J. Mutton, (b. 1855), aged 19, Cornish settler departing on 2nd October 1874 aboard the ship "Dilharree" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 16th January 1875 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mutton (post 1700) +

  • William W. Mutton, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Board of Agriculture, 1911 14
  • John Roderick Mutton (1947-2022), British politician, Labour group leader on Coventry City Council from 2003 to 2013, Leader of Coventry City Council from 2010 to 2013 and Lord Mayor of Coventry in 1997
  • Lerryn William Mutton OAM (1924-2015), Australian politician, Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Yaralla(1968-1978)
  • Kirby Mutton (b. 1984), Australian netball player
  • Guy Christopher "Mutto" Mutton (b. 1976), English-born, Australian singer
  • Brice Mutton (1890-1949), Australian politician
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. 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)
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  13. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Auckland 1872-80 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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