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Stretton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Stretton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Stretton reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Stretton family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Stretton family lived in Wiltshire, at Stratton. However, there are also parishes in Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Somerset also named Stratton.

The reason for the many parishes so named is because of the etymology of the surname as in "one who came from Stratton (homestead on a Roman road.)" 1 However down in Cornwall, in Cornish the name literally means "the hill full of fresh springs." 2

Early Origins of the Stretton family

The surname Stretton was first found in Wiltshire where it is said that the notorious Adam de Stratton derives from Argouges from Manche in the arrondisement of Avranches in Normandy.

Adam de Stratton (died 1292) was a royal moneylender, administrator and clergyman under Edward I of England. He rose to become Chamberlain of the Exchequer and steward of Isabella, Countess of Devon. His father was Thomas de Argoges, or Arwillis, of Stratton St Margaret in Wiltshire. In 1278, he was accused of cutting off the seal of a charter from Quarr Abbey, thereby invalidating its authenticity. This was not the beginning nor the last time he would be associated with dubious activities. On 17 January 1290, he was relieved of his office of chamberlain, along with his temporal possessions. Upon his arrest, he was discovered to have in his possession a vast sum of money and objects associated with witchcraft. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1292 and died by 14 August 1294.

Henry de Stratton (died after 1277) was an English clergyman and Crown official who later served as a judge in Ireland. He is chiefly remembered as the brother of the infamous Adam de Stratton.

Stratton is a parish in Cornwall in the deanery of Trigg-Major, and in the hundred to which this parish imparts its name. "This circumstance denotes its great antiquity, and discovers that in former ages it presented no contemptible figure on the rolls of fame." 3

Robert de Stretton (died 1385), an English divine, born at Stretton Magna, Leicestershire was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and son of Robert Eyryk or de Stretton. "He and his elder brother, Sir William Eyryk, knight (ancestor of the Heyricks of Leicestershire), derived their surnames from Stretton Magna. " 4

Early History of the Stretton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stretton research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1320 and 1364 are included under the topic Early Stretton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stretton Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Stretton family name include Stratton, Straton, Straiton and others.

Early Notables of the Stretton family

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

Stretton migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Stretton family to immigrate North America:

Stretton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eliza Stretton, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 5

Stretton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Tho Stretton, who landed in Virginia in 1705 5

Stretton migration to Australia +

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

Stretton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Stretton, English convict from Leicester, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
William Stretton, Sr., English convict from Derby, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
S.D. Stretton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 8
Thomas Stretton, aged 31, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Marion" 9

Stretton 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:

Stretton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

H. Stretton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Ennerdale" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th April 1849 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Stretton (post 1700) +

Samuel C. Stretton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 5th District, 1990 11
William Stretton (1755-1828), English builder and architect based in Nottingham
Samuel Stretton (1731-1811), English builder, architect and inventor who built the first powered cotton mill in Nottingham
Ronald Charles Stretton (1930-2012), English bronze medalist track cyclist at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Hesba Stretton (1832-1911), pen name of Sarah Smith, English writer of children's books
Amanda Stretton (b. 1973), English female racing driver and motoring journalist
Hugh Stretton AC (1924-2015), Australian historian, professor and Rhodes Scholar, deputy chair of the South Australian Housing Trust for 17 years
Lieutenant-Colonel Severus William Lynam Stretton (1783-1884), British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars
Colonel Sempronius Stretton CB (1781-1842), British Army officer who served at the Battle of Waterloo, best known for his sketches of early Canadian life
Ross Stretton (1952-2005), Australian ballet dancer and artistic director, Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet (1997-2001) and the Royal Ballet (2001-2002)
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Stretton family +

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. Edward Stretton (1875-1914), English Miner from Norton Canes, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 12

The Stretton 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: Resurgere tento
Motto Translation: I strive to rise again.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 12th December 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners