Show ContentsStitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

When the Strongbownian's arrived in Ireland there was already a system for creating patronymic names in place. Therefore, the native population regarded many of the Anglo-Norman naming practices that these settlers were accustomed to as rather unusual. Despite their differences, the two different systems eventually merged together rather insidiously. The Strongbownians, when they arrived, displayed a preference for used nickname surnames. Two of the most prevalent forms were oath nicknames and imperative names. Oath names often carried blessings or were formed from habitual expressions. Imperative names, formed from a verb added to a noun or an adverb, metaphorically described the bearer's occupations. The nick name surname Stitch is derived from a nickname for a large, well-built man. The surname Stitch is derived from the Old English word "stack," which in turn comes from the Old Norse word "stakkr," which means "haystack." The Gaelic form of the surname Stitch is Stac.

Early Origins of the Stitch family

The surname Stitch was first found in Gloucestershire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were recruited from their seat at Bath to join the Earl of Pembroke's invasion of Ireland.

Early History of the Stitch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stitch research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stitch Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Stitch include: Stack, Stacke, Stacks and others.

Early Notables of the Stitch family

More information is included under the topic Early Stitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stitch family

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Stitch: Thomas and Mary Stack with their six children who arrived in Prescott, Ontario in 1825; Maurice, Michael, Peter, Patrick, Thomas and William Stack, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1866. In Newfoundland, Thomas Stack settled in St. John's in 1797.



Houseofnames.com on Facebook