Show ContentsSalt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Salt family

The surname Salt was first found in Staffordshire at Salt with Enson, a township, in the parish of St. Mary and St. Chad, Stafford, union of Stafford about 4 miles (N. E. by N.) from Stafford. [1]

The township dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Selte. [2] As one would expect, the place name literally means "salt-pit, a salt works." [3]

"This surname is very common in Staffordshire, in which county there is a village so called. In 1166, it is written Selte" [4] "Hugh de Salt held Salt of Philip de Chetwynd. From this tenure, and from the resemblance of the arms, it is probable that Salt was a cadet of Chetwynd. " [5]

The Assize Rolls of Staffordshire listed Nicholas de Salt there in 1199. A few years later in 1203, William de Saut was recorded as holding lands in Staffordshire; and the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332 includes a listing for Hugh de Salt. [6]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists Ranulph de Saut, Cambridgeshire [7] and Ivo de Saut was found in Staffordshire, Henry III-Edward I (during the reigns of Henry III and Edward I). [8]

"Salt, an ancient and a very common Staffordshire name, is exceedingly numerous in the Ashbourne district, on the borders of Derbyshire, in which county also it is well represented. Salt is the name of a Staffordshire village and district; and Salte of Salte was the original ancestor of the family. The Saltes of Yoxall were a family of gentry 300 years ago; in 1600 Mr. Walter Salt left a bequest for the poor tradesmen of Lichfield, and the name is still in that city." [9]

Early History of the Salt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Salt research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1599, 1621, 1775, 1780, 1788, 1808, 1810, 1813, 1827, 1838, 1845, 1862 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Salt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Salt 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 Salt include Salt, Saut and others.

Early Notables of the Salt family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Henry Salt (1780-1827), English traveller and collector of antiquities, born at Lichfield, 14 June 1780, the youngest child of Thomas Salt, a Lichfield doctor, by his wife Alice, daughter of Cary Butt...
  • Thomas Salt (died 1788) of Rugeley, Staffordshire had John Stevenson Salt (1775-1845), an English barrister, banker and land owner. he was High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1838. He owned estates at We...

Ireland Migration of the Salt family to Ireland

Some of the Salt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Salt 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 Salt or a variant listed above:

Salt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Salt, who landed in Virginia in 1663 [10]
  • Joseph Salt, who settled in Virginia in 1672
  • Mary Salt, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 [10]
  • Samuel Salt who settled in Virginia in 1679
Salt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Salt, who landed in America in 1760-1763 [10]
  • William Salt, who settled in Virginia in 1771
Salt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Salt, who landed in New York in 1843 [10]
  • William Wilton Salt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 [10]
  • Robert Salt, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1854
  • William H Salt, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1870 [10]
  • William B, Salt Jr., who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Salt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Salt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Maurice Salt U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association [11]

Australia Salt migration to Australia +

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

Salt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Salt, Cornish convict who was convicted in Cornwall, England for life, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [12]
  • Ms. Mary Salt, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 2nd August 1801, sentenced for life, transported aboard the ship "Experiment" on 2nd January 1804 to New South Wales, Australia [13]
  • Mr. John Salt, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1829 by hanging for highway robbery [14]
  • Thomas Salt, English convict from Derby, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [15]
  • Mr. Thomas Salt, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [16]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Salt 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:

Salt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Bates Salt, aged 24, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifford" in 1842
  • Thomas Salt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Jane Salt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Edward Salt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • Eliza Salt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Shepherd" in 1870
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Salt (post 1700) +

  • Waldo Miller Salt (1914-1987), American two-time Academy Award winning screenwriter who was blacklisted during the era of McCarthyism
  • Jennifer Salt (b. 1944), American producer, screenwriter, and former actress
  • Dame Barbara Salt DBE MBE (1904-1975), American-born, British diplomat, the first British woman in the Diplomatic Service to become Counsellor, Minister and Ambassador-Designate
  • Samuel Salt (d. 1792), English lawyer, and benefactor of Charles Lamb, son of John Salt, vicar of Audley in Staffordshire
  • Henry Salt (1780-1827), English Egyptologist, artist and collector of antiquities, youngest child of Thomas Salt, a Lichfield doctor
  • Sir Titus Salt (1803-1876), 1st Baronet, English manufacturer, politician and philanthropist in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire
  • Phillip Thomas "Phil" Salt (b. 1979), English footballer
  • John Stevenson Salt (1777-1845), English barrister, banker and land owner from Rugeley, Staffordshire, High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1838
  • John Salt (b. 1937), English photorealist artist
  • Henry Stephens Salt (1851-1939), English writer and campaigner for social reforms in prisons, schools and economic institutions
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Henry Jordan Salt, American 2nd Class passenger from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [17]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  9. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  10. 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)
  11. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  13. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  17. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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