Chorlton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Chorlton name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived at Chorlton, in the county of Lancashire. "The township was then chiefly occupied as an agricultural estate connected with the ancient Chorlton Hall, which is still standing near St. Luke's chapel." 1 The name was originally derived from the elements churl, meaning peasant and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement. 2 3

Chorlton is also a township in Chester and a chapelry in Staffordshire. 1

Early Origins of the Chorlton family

The surname Chorlton was first found in Somerset where Alan de Cherleton, was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) 4

The Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire included an entry for Muriel Chorlton in 1327 and later in Gloucestershire, William de Chorleton was listed in 1380. Thomas Chorleton was found in Nottinghamshire in 1419. 5

Early History of the Chorlton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chorlton research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1377, 1380, 1419, 1603, 1666, 1682, 1687, 1695 and 1705 are included under the topic Early Chorlton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chorlton Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Chorlton were recorded, including Chorlton, Chorleton, Cherleton and others.

Early Notables of the Chorlton family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Chorlton (1666-1705), an English Presbyterian minister and tutor from Salford, Greater Manchester. "He was educated for the ministry in the northern academy under Richard Frankland, M.A., the dat...

Chorlton migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Chorlton family emigrate to North America:

Chorlton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Chorlton who arrived in Philadelphia in 1832
Isaac Chorlton, who settled in Philadelphia in 1860

Chorlton migration to Australia +

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

Chorlton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Chorlton, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone