Contents [hide]

Tolbert History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Tolbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Tolbert is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Germanic personal name Talabert, meaning bright valley. 1

Early Origins of the Tolbert family

The surname Tolbert was first found in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire. "This great historical family is traced to the Conquest, Richard Talbot, living at that period, being the first recorded ancestor. " 2 In Normandy, their place of origin, the name was originally listed as D'Eu, a baronial name. 3

William Talebot "came to England in 1066, and had 1. Richard; 2. Geoffrey, ancestor of Lord Talbot of Malahide. Richard Talebot in 1086 held in Bedford from Walter Giffard, Baron of Boldec. " 3 4

"No family in England are more connected with the history of our country than this noble race; few are more highly allied. The Marches of Wales appear to have been the original seat; afterwards we find the Talbots in Shropshire, in Staffordshire, and lastly in Yorkshire." 2 5

The chapelry of Salebury played an important part in the story of the family history. "In the reign of Edward II. a charter for free warren in this manor was granted to Sir Robert de Cliderhou, whose daughter occurs as owner of the manor in 1406. Isabella, her daughter, conveyed the manor in marriage to John Talbot, of Bashall. Their son was instrumental to the betrayal of Henry VI., whose apprehension is said to have occurred here, though Leland fixes the scene in Cletherwoode. However this may be, letters-patent were granted to him by Edward IV. for a pension of twenty marks out of the duchy revenues. In this odious service, Sir James Haryngton was the principal actor, and the Talbots his subordinate agents.

John Talbot, the last male heir of the family, left a daughter, married to Edward Warren of Poynton, from whose family the manor passed by marriage: it now belongs to Lord de Tabley. " 6

Another branch of the family was found at Alveton in Staffordshire. "The extensive manor of Alton became the property of John Talbot, first earl of Shrewsbury, by his marriage with the heiress of the Furnival family, and has remained with his descendants to the present time." 6 The township of Bashall-Eaves in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another family seat. "This place, long distinguished as the residence of the Talbots, has been variously designated Beckshalgh, Batsalve, Bakesholf, and Bashall. " 6

"The Talbots are now chiefly established in Somerset, Dorset, Lancashire, and Notts. The ancient and illustrious family of the Talbots, dating back to Domesday times, were originally settled in the Welsh Marches, and afterwards in Shropshire and Staffordshire, and then in Yorkshire." 7

Early History of the Tolbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolbert research. Another 211 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1274, 1384, 1417, 1453, 1456, 1457, 1458, 1460, 1620, 1623, 1630, 1633, 1642, 1659, 1660, 1667, 1668, 1669, 1680, 1691, 1702, 1710, 1714, 1715 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Tolbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolbert Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Talbot, Talbott, Talbut, Talbart, Talbert and many more.

Early Notables of the Tolbert family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Talbot at the Battle of Hastings; John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG (1384-1453), known as "Old Talbot", an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France; John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 2nd Earl of Waterford, 8th Baron Talbot, KG (c. 1417-1460), an English nobleman and soldier, son of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Maud Nevill, 6th...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tolbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolbert Ranking

In the United States, the name Tolbert is the 1,252^nd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Tolbert family to Ireland

Some of the Tolbert family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 170 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolbert migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Tolbert or a variant listed above:

Tolbert Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Tolbert, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1776 9

Tolbert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hyrim Tolbert, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1844 9

Tolbert Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

J. Tolbert, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
Leon D. Tolbert, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1907
Thomas C. Tolbert, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
Wm.A. Tolbert, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1909
Frank Tolbert, aged 44, who landed in America, in 1922

Tolbert migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tolbert Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mary Tolbert, who arrived in Quebec in 1784

Contemporary Notables of the name Tolbert (post 1700) +

Ward V. Tolbert, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Senate 20th District, 1921-22; Candidate for Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1924 10
Robert Redd Tolbert, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from South Carolina 3rd District, 1898; Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1900, 1908 (alternate) 10
R. R. Tolbert Jr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1912, 1924 (member, Committee on Permanent Organization), 1928 (Convention Vice-President) 10
M. P. Tolbert, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1936 10
Joseph Warren Tolbert (b. 1946), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1900 (alternate), 1908, 1912, 1916, 1924, 1928, 1936 10
John Robert Tolbert, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from South Carolina 3rd District, 1890, 1892 10
Joseph A. Tolbert, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1924, 1928 (member, Credentials Committee), 1936 10
Jason Tolbert, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arkansas, 2008 10
J. R. Tolbert, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Gold Democrat National Convention from Arkansas, 1896 10
James R. Tolbert, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1928 10
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Tolbert 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: Prest d'accomplir
Motto Translation: Ready to accomplish.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html