Show ContentsCassain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Cassain is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Cassain is a name that comes from de Cassagne, the name of the House of the Lords of Montagu, who were a family of distinction from the province of Bearne, France. 1

Early Origins of the Cassain family

The surname Cassain was first found in Hampshire, where a Ralph Cattessone was on record in 1115. Other early records include Robert Casseson in 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire, John Catessone, on record in the Feet of Fines of Suffolk in 1366, and William Casson in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York in 1601. 2

Early History of the Cassain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cassain research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1789, 1815, 1820, 1821, 1829 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Cassain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cassain Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Cassan, Cassane, Casson and others.

Early Notables of the Cassain family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Stephen Hyde Cassan (1789-1841), English ecclesiastical biographer, son of Stephen Cassan, barrister, by his wife Sarah, daughter of Charles Mears, born in 1789 at Calcutta, where his father was sheriff. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and took his B.A. degree on 14 Jan. 1815. He received deacon's orders on 26 March following, and was ordained priest the next year. While curate of Frome...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cassain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Cassain family to Ireland

Some of the Cassain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cassain family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Cassain or a variant listed above were: Anty and Monty Cassan, both bonded passengers, who arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1849; Andrew Cassan who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1850.



The Cassain 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: Prosequor alis
Motto Translation: I follow with speed.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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