Sibthorp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Sibthorp is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sibthorp family lived in Nottinghamshire. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old Norse words sib, meaning victory, and thorp, meaning outlying farm or hamlet. 1

Early Origins of the Sibthorp family

The surname Sibthorp was first found in Nottinghamshire at Sibthorpe, a parish in the union of Bingham. "In the reign of Edward II., Thomas de Sibthorpe founded a chantry in the church, and subsequently erected it into a college for a warden, nine chaplains, three clerks, and four choristers; he also added four chapels, in honour of St. Anne, St. Katharine, St. Margaret, and St. Mary." 2

The family is conjecturally descended from a Norman noble, Fredegis, who held the lands of Sibetorp (Sibthorpe) from Count Alan. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Survey in 1086 Sibetorp consisted of a church and one and a quarter mills. In the graveyard of the church there were twenty Irish yew trees, which have gained fame throughout the years. "A Robert and William de Sibetorp occur in the Domesday [Book] of that county, and the name is found in connection with Sibthorpe down to the 14th century. " 3

The family quickly spread throughout ancient Britain as seen by Robert de Sibthorpe, who was rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire in 1374. 4

Early History of the Sibthorp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sibthorp research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1395, 1607, 1618, 1631, 1632, 1662, 1669, 1713, 1715, 1718, 1747, 1758, 1784, 1796, 1797 and 1896 are included under the topic Early Sibthorp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sibthorp Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Sibthorp has been recorded under many different variations, including Sibetorp, Sibthorp, Sibthorpe, Sibethorp and many more.

Early Notables of the Sibthorp family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Christopher Sibthorp (d. 1632), English pamphleteer who made third justice of the King's bench in Ireland on 11 May 1607, and was knighted on 3 May 1618
Robert Sibthorpe or Sibthorp (died 1662), an English clergyman, known for his outspoken defense of the divine right of kings during the reign of King Charles
John Sibthorpe (1669-1718), of St. Mark's, Lincoln, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Lincoln from 1713 to 1715
Dr. Humphrey Sibthorp (1713-1797), who from 1747 to 1784 was Sherardian Professor of Botany at Oxford

Migration of the Sibthorp family to Ireland

Some of the Sibthorp family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sibthorp migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Sibthorps were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Sibthorp Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christofer Sibthorp, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1685 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Sibthorp (post 1700) +

Richard Waldo Sibthorp (1792-1879), English divine, born at Canwick Hall, near Lincoln, fifth and youngest son of Colonel Humphry Waldo Sibthorp
John Sibthorp (1758-1796), English botanist, born at Oxford, youngest son of Humphry Sibthorp (1713–1797) by his second wife, Elizabeth
Charles De Laet Waldo Sibthorp (1783-1855), British colonel of militia and politician, second son of Colonel Humphry Waldo Sibthorp (1744–1815), of an old family long connected with Lincoln
Humphrey Sibthorp (1744-1815), British Tory politician, Member of Parliament for Boston (1777-1784), Member of Parliament for Lincoln in 1800 and (1801-1806)
Humphry Waldo Sibthorp (1713-1797), British botanist, Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford from 1747 to 1783
Fletcher Sibthorp (b. 1967), British artist based in London, England who has painted several key figures in the world of dance

The Sibthorp 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: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: To have a conscience free from guilt.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
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)