Saltonstall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Saltonstall family

The surname Saltonstall was first found in Yorkshire where the family claim descendancy from Robert de Saltonstall who held lands in Warley, near Halifax, Yorkshire in 1274.

While this is the generally accepted origin of the family, two sources claim the family could have originated at Salternstall in Kent which literally meant "salt works place." 1 2

The American colonist Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) who led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630 was a nephew of the Lord Mayor of London Richard Saltonstall (1517-1600.) The latter claimed descendancy from Yorkshire. In fact, Sir Richard served as a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire and was Lord of the Manor of Ledsham before his departure for America.

Early History of the Saltonstall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saltonstall research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1517, 1586, 1600, 1630, 1639, 1661, 1666, 1692, 1707, 1708 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Saltonstall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Saltonstall Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Saltonstall has been recorded under many different variations, including Saltonstall, Salton, Saltonston and others.

Early Notables of the Saltonstall family

Notables of the family at this time include

Richard Saltonstall (1517-1600), Lord Mayor of London. His nephew Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachus...
Gurdon Saltonstall (1666-1724), born in Haverhill, Massachusetts Bay Colony was a son of Nathaniel Saltonstall and was the 25th Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1708 to 1724

Saltonstall migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Saltonstall or a variant listed above:

Saltonstall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Hutchins Mickle Saltonstall of Berkeley Springs who settled in West Virginia about 1630
Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) who established the area now known as Watertown Massachusetts, he arrived in Salem aboard the ship "Arbella" with the Winthrope Fleet. 3
Samuel Saltonstall, the son of Sir Richard Saltonstall, who travelled aboard the "Arbella" and arrived in Massachusetts with the Winthrope Fleet.
Rosamond Saltonstall, the daughter of Sir Richard Saltonstall, who travelled aboard the "Arbella" and in Massachusetts with the Winthrope Fleet.
Grace Saltonstall, the daughter of Sir Richard Saltonstall, who travelled aboard the "Arbella" and in Massachusetts with the Winthrope Fleet.
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Saltonstall (post 1700) +

Nathaniel Saltonstall (1727-1807), born in New London, Connecticut, an American militiaman and a captain of Connecticut naval privateer ships during the American Revolutionary War, eponym of Lake Saltonstall and Saltonstall Mountain in Branford, Connecticut
Leverett Saltonstall (1892-1979), American politician, Chair of the Senate Republican Conference (1957-1967), 55th Governor of Massachusetts (1939-1945), Chair of the National Governors Association (1943-1944), Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1929-1937)
Dudley Saltonstall (1738-1796), born in New London, Connecticut, an American Naval commander during the Revolutionary War
Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661), English settler who led a group of English migrants from the Winthrop Fleet up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630. He travelled aboard the "Arbella" in 1629 and landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630. He was appointed magistrate and justice of the peace. By 1631 he decided to return to Boston then returned to England, there in 1644 he was appointed ambassador to Holland and had a portrait commissioned by Rembrandt
Leverett Saltonstall I (1783-1845), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1838-1843), First Mayor of Salem, Massachusetts (1836-1838), President of the Massachusetts Senate (1831-1832)
Gurdon Saltonstall Mumford (1764-1831), American politician, United States Representative from New York (1805-1809)
Richard Saltonstall Greenough (1819-1904), American sculptor
Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard (1802-1886), American fur trader, insurance underwriter and land speculator from Chicago

The Saltonstall 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: Teneo tenuere majores
Motto Translation: I hold (what) my ancestors held.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)